Lok Sabha Question No. 1726 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-11
Subject: Action Plan for Depleting Ground Water Reserves
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Rajendra Agrawal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI,

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1726

ANSWERED ON 11 .02.2021

## ACTION PLAN FOR DEPL ETING GROUND WATER R ESERVES

## 1726. SHRI RAJENDRA AGRAWAL

W ill the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has formulated an action plan to tackle the depletion of the g reserves as pointed out in the Central Water Commission report of States lik e Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh;

(b) if so, the details thereof; and

(c) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) Water being a State subject, initiatives on water management including conservation harvesting in the Country is primarily States' responsibility. However, the important measures taken by the Central Government for conservation, management of ground water and effective implementation of rain water harvesting in the country are at the following URL:

http://jalshakti - dowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/Steps\_to\_control\_water\_depletion\_Feb2021.pdf.

A number of States have done notable work in the field water of conservation/harvesting. Government  of  Punjab,  Haryana  and  Uttar  Pradesh  are  implementing 'Paani Bachao, Paisa Kamao', 'Jal Hi Jeevan' and 'Rajya Bhujal Sanrakshan Mission & Khet Talab Yojana' etc. respectively in water stressed areas.

Government o f India launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) in 2019, a time bound campaign mission mode approach intended to improve water availability including ground water conditi water stressed blocks of 256 districts in India including in Punjab, Harya na and Uttar Pradesh. In this regard,  teams  of  officers  from  Central  Government  along - with  technical  officers  from  Ministry  of  J Shakti were deputed to visit water stressed districts and to work in close collaboration wi officials to und ertake  suitable  interventions.  Further,  Ministry  launched  'JSA - II Catch  the  Rain'  on  21 December 2020 for awareness generation among people.

Government of India is implementing Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal), a Rs. 6000 Crore Central Sector Scheme, for sust ainable management of ground water resources with community participation. Atal Jal is being implemented in 80 water stressed districts of Seven States viz. Gujarat, Harya Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Out of this 10 and 13 districts fall in th jurisdiction of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana respectively.

Central  Government  supports  construction  of  water  harvesting  and  conservation primarily through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREG S) and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana -Watershed Development Component (PMKSY- WDC). The expenditure made on water related works taken up in Punjab, Haryana & Uttar Pradesh under MG and details of water harvesting structures (WHS) created unde PMKSY - WDC during last two years is given at Annexure .

(c)The question does not arise in view of the reply given above.

Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) & (b) of Unstarred Question No. 1726 to be answered in Lok Sabha on 11.02.2020 regarding 'Action Plan for Depleting Ground Water Reserves'.

## Water conservation and water harvesting works taken up /completed under MGNREGS for last 2 years.

|                | 2020- 21     | 2020- 21                 | 2020- 21      | 2020- 21                 | 2019- 20       | 2019- 20                 | 2019- 20       | 2019- 20                 |
|----------------|--------------|--------------------------|---------------|--------------------------|----------------|--------------------------|----------------|--------------------------|
| State          | COMPLETED    | COMPLETED                | ONGOING       | ONGOING                  | COMPLETED      | COMPLETED                | ONGOING        | ONGOING                  |
| State          | NO. OF WORKS | EXPENDITURE IN RS. LAKHS | NO. OF WOR KS | EXPENDITURE IN RS. LAKHS | NO. O F WO RKS | EXPENDITURE IN RS. LAKHS | NO. O F WO RKS | EXPENDITURE IN RS. LAKHS |
| HARYANA        | 402          | 702                      | 2079          | 3958                     | 1028           | 2421                     | 1770           | 2349                     |
| PUNJAB         | 243          | 237                      | 1488          | 859                      | 476            | 586                      | 1094           | 495                      |
| UTT AR PRADESH | 21069        | 23331                    | 98691         | 98162                    | 21015          | 39716                    | 65442          | 36431                    |

## State - wise details of WHS created/rejuvenated under PMKSY - WDC during 2015 - 16 to 2020 - 21 (as on 30.09.2020)

|   Sl. No | State         |   WHS created /rejuvenated (in Nos.) |
|----------|---------------|--------------------------------------|
|        1 | Haryana       |                                 3245 |
|        2 | Punjab        |                                  365 |
|        3 | Uttar Pradesh |                                20307 |

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