Lok Sabha Question No. 347 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-08
Subject: Community Initiative on Rain Water Harvesting
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Kotagiri Sridhar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI,

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 347

ANSWERED ON 08.12.2022

## COMMUNITY INITIATIVE ON RAIN WATER HARVESTING

## 347 SHRI SRIDHAR KOTAGIRI

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:-

(a) whether the Government has introduced any community initiatives to encourage rainwater harvesting at homes;

(b) if so, the details thereof including the progress made through such initiatives;

(c) if not, the reasons therefor;

(d)  whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  studies  on  how  rainwater  harvesting  can  be  effectively leveraged at the household level;

(e) if so, the details thereof including the steps taken in response to the findings; and

(f) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI ( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU )

(a)  & (b) Water is a State subject and the Central Government supplements the efforts of the States on water conservation and recharge, including rainwater conservation and its harvesting, through technical and financial  support.  However,  Government of  India has been implementing various schemes for rainwater conservation  and  its  harvesting  with  the  convergence  of  States'  schemes  including  people's  active participation.  One such major initiatives of Government of include 'Jal Shakti Abhiyan-I' (JSA-I) in 1,592 blocks  of  256  water-stressed  districts  of  the  country  during  July  to  November  2019  to  promote  water conservation and water resource management by focusing on water conservation & rainwater harvesting, renovation  of  traditional  and  other  water  bodies/  tanks,  reuse,  and  recharge  of  bore  wells,  watershed development and intensive afforestation. Third in the series of JSA, 'Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch The Rain' 2022 in the current year has been launched on 29 March, 2022 in all districts (rural as well as urban areas) of the country with the main theme 'Catch the Rain, where it falls, when it falls'. Water conservation and rainwater harvesting is one of the focused interventions of the campaign. States are converging resources from  available Central and States' resources. National Water  Policy, inter-alia, advocates water conservation and rain water harvesting.

## Interventions Progress under JSA-I was as under:-

| Water Conservation &Rain Water Harvesting   | Renovation of Traditional &Other Water Bodies/Tanks   | Reuse and Recharge Structures       |
|---------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
| Watershed Development 1,59,354              | Intensive (Saplings planted)                          | 1,42,740                            |
| 2,73,256                                    | 44,497                                                |                                     |
|                                             | Afforestation 12,35,99,566                            | Block Water Conservation Plan 1,372 |

The progress of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain campaign of 2021 as uploaded on JSA:CTR Portal (jsactr.mowr.nic.in) from 22.3.2021 to 28.03.2022 are as follows:-

- (i) Water  Conservation &  Rainwater  Harvesting Structures: 16,22,957; (ii) Renovation  of Traditional  Water  Bodies:  2,96,958;  (iii)  Reuse  and  Recharge Structures:  8,31,961;  (iv)  Watershed Development:  19,18,395;  (v)  Intensive  Afforestation:   36,75,68,460;  and  Training  Programmes/  Kisan Melas: 43,631. The above details include completed as well as ongoing works.   Actual expenditure from MGNREGS  funds  was  Rs.  65,666  crore.   States/UTs  have  also  been  directed  to  utilized  their  own resources.

The  progress  of  the  Jal  Shakti  Abhiyan:  Catch  the  Rain  -  2022  campaign  since  29.3.2022  as  on 02.12.2022 are as follows:-

Water Conservation & Rainwater Harvesting Structures: 10,59,888; (ii) Renovation of Traditional Water  Bodies:  2,34,621;  (iii)  Reuse  and  Recharge Structures:  7,21,293;  (iv)  Watershed  Development: 13,32,673; (v) Intensive Afforestation:  78,31,49,273; (vi) Total Jal Shakti Kendra established till date 606; (viii) Training Programmes/ Kisan Melas: 54,433;  (viii) Scientific water conservation plan prepared 260. The  above  details  include  completed  as  well  as  ongoing  works.    Actual  expenditure  from  MGNREGS funds was Rs. 18,066 crore.

- (c) Does not arise.
- (d)  to  (f) No  specific  study  on  this  issue  is  available  in  this  Department.   However,  various  methods commonly used for rain water harvesting including house-hold level have been described in the 'Manual on  Artificial  Recharge  of  Ground  Water'  available  in  the  public  domain  at  the  following  URL: http://cgwb.gov.in/documents/Manual-Artificial-Recharge.pdf  and  also  in  'Master  Plan  for  Artificial Recharge to Ground Water in India -2020', in http://cgwb.gov.in/Master%20Plan%20to%20GW%20Recharge%202020.pdf.