Lok Sabha Question No. 1601 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-15
Subject: Water Stress
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: N.K. Premachandran

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER & SANITATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1601

TO BE ANSWERED ON 15/12/2022

## Water Stress

## 1601.  SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a)   whether the Government has conducted any study regarding the drinking water stress in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether the Government proposes to rectify the drinking water stress and if so, the details thereof along with the action taken thereon;
- (c)   whether the Government proposes to extract more ground water for drinking purpose and if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  whether the Government proposes to launch special programme for groundwater recharge and if so, the details thereof;
- (e)   whether the Government proposes to regulate the extraction of groundwater and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f)   whether the Government proposes to launch programme for ensuring quality of open well water and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL)

(a)  to  (c)  Drinking  Water  being  a  State  subject,  it  is  States,  who  plan,  design,  approve  and implement drinking water supply schemes. Government of India supplements the efforts of the States  by  providing  technical  and  financial  assistance.  As  reported  by  States/  UTs,  as  on 05.12.2022, out of 16.97 lakh rural habitations in the country, 13.07 lakh [77%] have provision of potable drinking water with more than 40 litre per capita per day  (lpcd), 3.64 lakh [21.5%] rural  habitations  with  less  than  40  lpcd  with  sources  at  a  reasonable  distance  and  0.26  lakh [1.5%] rural habitations are reported to have water quality issues in drinking water sources.

Further,  to  enable  every  rural  household  to  have  provision  of  tap  water  supply  by  2024, Government of India in partnership with States is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) - Har Ghar Jal, since August 2019. At the time of announcement of Jal Jeevan Mission, 3.23 Crore (17%) households were reported to have tap water connections. So far, around 7.48 Crore (38%) rural  households  have  been  provided  with  tap  water  connections  in  last  3  years.  Thus,  as  on

12.12.2022,  out  of  19.36  Crore  rural  households  in  the  country,  around  10.71  Crore  (55%) households are reported to have tap water supply in their homes.

Under JJM, the water sources inter alia which include groundwater (open well, borewell, tube well, handpumps, etc.), ancient & traditional surface water (river, reservoir, lake, pond, springs, etc.)  and  rain  water  stored  in  small  tanks  are  being  used  as  sources  for  drinking  water  supply schemes. Details of individual projects/ schemes for rural water supply projects including water source for scheme are not maintained at the Government of India level.

(d)  For  supplementing  the  efforts  of  the  States  for  augmentation,  conservation  and  efficient management of water resources, the Central Government has taken various steps for sustainable ground water management in the country. A few of these areas under:

- i.) Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB)  has  taken  up  National  Aquifer  Mapping  and Management (NAQUIM) programme under Ground Water Management and Regulation scheme  with  the  objectives  to  delineate  the  aquifers,  characterize  them  and  prepare management  plans.  Out  of  the  identified  25  lakh  sq.  Km  area  for  coverage  under NAQUIM studies, so  far,  an  area  of  24.4  lakh  sq.  km  has  already  been  covered.  The entire 25 lakh sq. km is targeted to be covered by March 2023.
- ii.) The Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater -2020 has been prepared with respective  State  counterparts.  The  master  plan  includes  artificial  recharge  in  both  rural and urban areas including water scarce cities.
- iii.) Government of India is implementing Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) in the country. First JSA was launched in 2019 in water stressed blocks of 256 districts in the country with the primary  aim  to  effectively  harvest  the  monsoon  rainfall  through  creation  of  artificial recharge  structures,  watershed  management,  recharge  and  reuse  structures,  intensive afforestation  and  awareness  generation  etc.    Under  JSA  2021,  during  the  period  from 22nd  March  2021  to  28th  March  2022,  around  10.65  lakh  rainwater  conservation  & harvesting  structures  were  created  and  around  1.79  lakh  traditional  water  bodies  were renovated in the country.
- iv.) Central  Government  is  implementing  Atal  Bhujal  Yojana  with  an  outlay  of  Rs.  6,000 crore,  in  collaboration  with  States,  in  certain  water  stressed  areas  of  Gujarat,  Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The primary aim of the scheme is demand side management through scientific means involving the local communities  at  village  levels  leading  to  sustainable  groundwater  management  in  the targeted areas.

Further details of steps taken for sustainable ground water management are available at: http://jalshaktidowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/Steps%20taken%20by%20the%20Central%20Govt %20for%20water\_depletion\_july2022.pdf

(e) For the purpose of regulation and control of ground water development and management in the Country, Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) has been constituted under Section 3(3) of the "Environment (Protection) Act, 1986". CGWA has advised States/ UTs to take measures to promote/ adopt artificial recharge to ground water/ rain water harvesting. CGWA grants No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for ground water abstraction to Industries, Infrastructure units and Mining projects in feasible areas in certain States/ UTs where regulation is not being done by the respective State/ UTs. The latest guidelines for control and regulation of groundwater extraction with pan-India applicability was notified by the Ministry on 24 September 2020.

(f)  For  facilitating  ground  water  quality  improvement/  remediation  of  contamination  in  the country, the following steps have been taken by the Central Government:

- i.) Data on ground water quality available with Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) are being shared with concerned State Governments for taking necessary remedial measures.
- ii.) CGWB constructs  wells  for  Exploration  of  Ground  Water.  Successful  contaminationfree wells are handed over to the State Governments for gainful utilization.
- iii.) Under  the  National  Aquifer  Mapping  Programme  (NAQUIM)  of  CGWB,  special attention is being given to the aspect of ground water quality including contamination by toxic  substances  such  as  Arsenic  in  ground  water.  Further,  under  NAQUIM,  CGWB constructs  arsenic  safe  exploratory  wells  arsenic  affected  parts  of  the  States  of  West Bengal,  Bihar  and  Uttar  Pradesh.  The  arsenic  safe  deeper  aquifer  zones  have  been identified and wells have been constructed tapping the arsenic safe deeper aquifers using innovative cement sealing technique.
- iv.) Awareness generation programs/ workshop on various aspects of ground water including preventing ground water pollution and safe use of contaminated water are conducted by CGWB periodically.
- v.) Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti has issued guidelines for control and regulation of groundwater extraction with pan-India on 24 th September 2020 which inter alia includes clauses on 'Measures to be  adopted  to  ensure  prevention  from  pollution  in  the  plant  premises  of  polluting industries/Projects'.

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