Lok Sabha Question No. 1056 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-27
Subject: Water Conservation
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Uday Pratap Singh

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †1056 ANSWERED ON 2 7.06.2019

## WATER CONSERVATION

## †1056. SHRI UDAY PRATAP SINGH

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is considering/proposes any concrete steps to promote water cons the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  note  of  the  co ntinuous  depletion  of  groundwater  level  and  t vanishing ancient ponds, step wells and tube wells; and

(d) if so, the concrete steps taken by the Government for the deepening and restoration Bodies?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI & SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT

## (SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA )

(a)  &(b) Water being  a  State  subject,  concrete  steps  for  augmentation,  conservation  and management  of  water  resources  to  ensure  sustainability  are  undertaken  by  the  respec Governments.  In  order  to  supplement  the  efforts  of  the  State  Government,  the  s teps  taken  by  the Government of India for conservation of water are as under:

- Hon'ble  Prime  Minister  has  written  a  letter  to  all  Sarpanchs  regarding  the  importance  of  water conservation  and  harvesting  and  exhorted  them  to  adopt  all  appropriate  measures  to make  water conservation a mass movement.
- The National Water Policy (2012) formulated by Ministry of Water Resources advocates cons promotion and protection of water and highlights the need for augmenting the availabil through rain wate r harvesting, direct use of rainfall and other management measures. The P been  forwarded  to  all  States/UTs  concerned  Ministries/Departments  of  Central  Govern adoption.
- In compliance to the decision taken by the Committee of Secretaries, an 'Inter -Ministerial Committee' under the Chairmanship of Secretary , Department of W ater R esources , R iverD evelopment& G anga R ejuvenation,  Minisrty  of  Jal  Shakti has  been  constituted  to  take  forward  the  subject  of  'Push  on Water Conservation Related Activi ties for Optimum Utilization of Monsoon Rainfall'.

- The Ministry has circulated a Model Bill to all the States/UTs to enable them to enact s water legislation for regulation of its development, which includes provision of rain water harvesting. So  far,  15  States/UTs  have  adopted  and  implemented  the  ground  water  legislation  on  th Model Bill.
- Central  Ground  Water  Authority  (CGWA)  has  been  constituted  under  Section  3  (3) 'Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986'  for  th e  purpose  of  regulation  and  control  of  ground  wa development and management in the Country. CGWA has issued directives to the Chief Secret all States as well as Administrators of all UTs to take measures to promote/adopt artifi ground water / rain water harvesting.
- Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB)  regularly  undertakes  training  programs  and Information, Education  and  Communication    ( IEC) activities  for  capacity  building  and  awareness  creati stakeholders  on  the  importance  of water  conservation  and  rainwater  harvesting  in  augmenting ground water resources.
- Best practices of water conservation by various entities including private persons, NG have been compiled and put on the web site of the Ministry for the ben efit of general public.
- Implementation of National Water Mission (NWM) is one of the steps being taken to promo conservation.  The  main  objective  of  NWM  is  'conservation  of  water,  minimizing  wastage  and ensuring  its  more  equitable  distribution  both across  and  within  States  through  integrated  wa resources development and management'. NWM has been undertaking training and mass awareness programmes on water c onservation .

(c) & (d) Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) carries out ground water monitor ing, on regional scale through a network of observation wells in the Country. In order to assess the declining/rising tre water level on a long - term basis, pre - monsoon water level data 2018 has been compared with the deca average (2008 - 2017) water level. Analysis of data indicates decline in ground water level in ab the wells and rise in 48% wells being monitored. The State - wise details are annexed .

As per the report of 5 th Census of Minor Irrigation Schemes with reference year 2013 - 14,available in  the  website  (http://mowr.gov.in)  of  Ministry  of  Jal  Shakti,  Department  of  Water  Reso Development and Ganga Rejuvenation , out of about 21 million total wells in the country about, wells are permanently not in use for vario us reasons like salinity, dried up, destroyed beyond rep water intrusion, etc.

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## Annexure ref erred to in reply to part (a) &(b) of Unstarred Question No. †1056 to be answered in Lok Sabha on 27.06.2019 regarding ' WATER CONSERVATIO N '

State - wise Decadal Water Level Fluctuation with Mean [Premonsoon (2008 to 2017] and Premonsoon 2018           (Source: CGWB)

| S.   | Name of   | Range in m   | Range in m   | Range in m   | Range in m   | State No. of wells   | State No. of wells   | State No. of wells   | State No. of wells   | State No. of wells   | State No. of wells   | State No. of wells   | State No. of wells   |
|------|-----------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|