Lok Sabha Question No. 1959 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-22
Subject: Area under Irrigation in Odisha
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Aparajita Sarangi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI,

## DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1959

## ANSWERED ON 22.09.2020

## AREA UNDER IRRIGATIO N IN ODISHA

## 1959. SHRIMATI APARAJITA SARANGI

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) the ratio of area under irrigation to the net sown area in Odisha as per the last available

(b)  whether  the  Government  is  planning  on  devising  a  strategy  to  harness  excess  rainwate te agricultural lands; and

(c) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA )

(a)As per the latest available data (2015 - 16), the ratio of net irrigated area to the net sown area wa in Odisha.

(b)  to  (c) Government  has  taken  number  of  measures  for  conservation,  development  and  managemen water resources in the countr y are :

- (i) Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana (PMKSY):  PMKSY was  launched  during  2015 - 16,  by Central  Government  with  an  overarching  vision  to  ensure  access  to  some  means  of  p irrigation  for  all  agricultural  farms  in  the  country.  Four  components  of  PMKSY  are Irrigation  Benefits  Pr ogramme  (AIBP),  Har  Khet  Ko  Pani  (HKKP),  Per  Drop  More  Crop  and Watershed Development.
- (ii) 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  appropri te measures  to  make  water conservation a mass movement.
- (iii) An 'Inter -Ministerial  Committee' under the Chairmanship of Secretary  (WR, RD & GR) has been constituted  to  take  forward  the  subject  of  'Push  on  Water  Conservation  Related  Activities  for Optim um Utilization of Monsoon Rainfall'.

- (iv) Government of India launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan which is a time bound campaign with a mode approach intended to improve water availability including ground water conditions i r stressed blocks of 256 districts in India.
- (v) National  Water  Policy  (2012)  formulated  by  Ministry  of  Jal  Shakti advocates  conservation, promotion and protection of water and highlights the need for augmenting the availabil through rain water harvesting, direct use of rainfall and other management measures. Th been  forwarded  to  all  States/UTs concerned  Ministries/Departments  of  Central  Government  f adoption.
- (vi) In order to regulate the over - exploitation and consequent depletion of ground water, the Minis circulated a Model Bill to all the States/UTs to enable them to enact suitabl e ground water legislation for regulation of its development, which also includes provision of rain water harvest States/UTs have adopted and implemented the ground water legislation on the lines of Mod
- (vii) Central Ground Water A uthority (CGWA) has issued directives to the Chief Secretaries of a as well as Administrators of all UTs to take measures to promote/adopt artificial rech water  /  rain  water  harvesting.  It  also  grants  No  Objection  Certificates  (NOCs) for  ground  water abstraction to industries, infrastructure units and mining projects in feasible areas conditions for conservation, augmentation and efficient use of ground water.
- (viii)Central  Government  supports  construction  of  water  h arvesting  and  conservation  works  primaril through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), PMKSY -Watershed Development Component. Further, the works related to rainwater harvesting s such as percolation tank and well r echarges are permissible under MGNREGS and are executed in t rural areas.

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