Lok Sabha Question No. 897 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-17
Subject: Fresh Survey of Ground Water
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Hanuman Beniwal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI, DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO .

## †897 ANSWERED ON 17.09.2020

## FRESH SURVEY OF GROU ND WATER

## †897. SHRI HANUMAN BENIWAL

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI  be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  aims  to  issue  notification  to  remove  dark  zone  in  various  area Nagaur, Jodhpur and Barmer districts of Rajasthan by conducting a fresh survey of ground water

(b ) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government has any policy to increase ground water level by water recharging dark zones of Rajasthan; and

(d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI & SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA )

(a) & b) No such proposal is under consideration in the Ministry. However, the Ministry has con committee under Central Ground Water Board for assessment of dynamic groundwater resources country for the year 2020 in collaboration with States/UTs.

( c) & d) Water being a State subject, initiatives on water management including conservation harvesting in the Country is primarily States' responsibility. Further, to supplement the efforts of the St Governments, Government of India provides technical and financial assistance to encourage sustain development and efficient management of water resources through various schemes and programmes

Further, a number of States have done notable work in the field conservation/harvesting. 'Mukhyamantri  Jal  Swavlamban  Abhiyan'  is  one  of  such  initiative  in  this direction in Rajasthan.

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Government  of  India  launched  Jal  Shakti  Abhiyan  (JSA),  a  time  bound  campaign  wi mission mode approach intended to improve water availability including grou nd water conditions in the water stressed blocks of 256 districts in India. In this regard, teams of officers from Cent along - with technical officers from Ministry of Jal Shakti were deputed to visit water stresse to work in cl ose collaboration with district level officials to undertake suitable interventions.

In addition, Government of India is implementing Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal), a Rs. 6000 Crore Central  Sector  Scheme,  for  sustainable  management  of  ground  water  resources  with  comm participation. Atal Jal is being implemented in 78 water stressed districts of Seven State Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

National  Water  Policy  (2012)  formulated  by  Ministry  of  Water  Resources,  RD  & advocates  conservation,  promotion  and  protection  of  water  and  highlights  the  need  for  augm availability of water through rain water harvesting, direct use of rainfall and other management measure The Policy document has been forwarded to all States/UTs including Rajasthan for adoption.

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As per information received from Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs , the Model Building Bye  Laws,  2016,  has been  issued  for  guidance  of  the  States/UTs,  which  has  a  chapter  on  'Rainwater Harvesting'.  33  States/UTs  have  adopted  the  rainwater  harvesting  provisions  including  Rajasthan.  The implementation of the rainwater harvesting policy comes within the purview the State Government/Urban Local Body / Urban Development Authority.

In  order  to  regulate  the  Over - exploitation  and  consequent  depletion  of  ground  water, Ministry has circulated a Model Bill to all the States/UTs to enable them to enact suitable legislation for regulation of its development, which includes prov sion of rain water harvesting. In syn with  the  Model  bill,  Rajasthan  has  made  rainwater  harvesting  mandatory  for  all  public  bui establishments and all properties in plots covering more than 300 sqmt in urban areas.

Central  Ground  Water  Aut hority  (CGWA)  has  been  constituted  under  Section  3(3)  of  t 'Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986'  for  the  purpose  of  regulation  and  control  of  ground  water development and management in the Country. CGWA is regulating ground water withdrawal by industries /  infrastructure/  mining  projects  in  the  country  for  which  guidelines/  criteria  have  been includes rainwater harvesting as one of the provisions while issuing No Objection Certificate.

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