Lok Sabha Question No. 333 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-08
Subject: Water Shortage
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Sarmistha Sethi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI,

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 333

## ANSWERED ON 08.12.2022

## WATER SHORTAGE

## 333 SHRIMATI SARMISTHA SETHI

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

(a) whether water shortage is one of the biggest problems that the country faces today and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether rivers, lakes, ground water and other sources of ground water are being overexploited and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether there is an urgent need for participatory ground water management in the country and if so, the initiatives taken by the Government in this regard; and

(d)  the  steps  taken  to  find  ways  to  preserve,  protect  and  augment  the  available  water  resources  in  the country?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU )

(a) & (b) The average annual water availability of any region or country is largely dependent upon hydrometeorological and geological factors. However, water availability per person is dependent on population of a  country.  The  per  capita  water  availability  in  the  country  is  reducing  due  to  increase  in  population.  The annual per-capita water availability of less than 1700 cubic meters is considered as water stressed condition. Based on the study of 'Reassessment of Water Availability in India using Space Inputs' (CWC, 2019), the average annual per capita water availability for year 2031 has been assessed as 1367 cubic meters.

As  per  Dynamic  Ground  Water  Resource  Assessment  2022,  out  of  the  total  7089  assessment  units (Block/Taluks/  Mandals/watersheds/Firkas)  in  the  country,  1006  units  in  16  States/UTs  have  been categorized as 'Over-exploited' where the Annual Ground Water Extraction is more than Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource. 260 units have been categorized as 'Critical', 885 units as 'Semi- critical', 4780 units as 'Safe' and 158 units as 'Saline'.

(c)  &  (d) Water  being  a  State  subject,  steps  for  augmentation,  conservation  and  efficient  management  of water resources are primarily undertaken by the respective State Governments. In order to supplement the efforts of the State Governments, Central Government provides technical and financial assistance to them through various schemes and programmes.

Atal Bhujal Yojana, a World Bank aided Central Sector Scheme of the Government of India with an outlay of  Rs  6000  crore,  is  being  implemented  with  a  focus  on  community  participation  and  demand  side interventions  for  sustainable  ground  water  management  in  identified  water  stressed  areas.  The  scheme  is being taken up in seven states, viz. Haryana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and  Uttar  Pradesh  through  active  participation  of  the  communities  in  the  participating  States  in  various activities such as monitoring and disseminating ground water data, water budgeting, preparation of GramPanchayat wise Water Security Plans & their implementation through convergence of ongoing schemes and IEC activities related to sustainable ground water management.

To ensure optimum utilization of water, Government of India has been implementing Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna (PMKSY)  from  2015-16  onwards.  Under  PMKSY-Accelerated  Irrigation Benefit Programme  (AIBP),  99  ongoing  major/medium  irrigation  projects  were  prioritized  during  2016-17,  in consultation  with  States  out  of  which  AIBP  works  of  50  prioritized  projects  have  been  reported  to  be completed. The extension of PMKSY for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26 has been approved by Government of India, with an overall outlay of Rs. 93,068.56 crore.

The Command Area Development and Water Management (CADWM) Programme has been brought under PMKSY - Har Khet Ko Pani from 2015-16 onwards. The main objective of taking up CAD works is to enhance utilisation of irrigation potential created, and improve agriculture production on a sustainable basis through Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM).

Government of India, in partnership with State, is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to make provision of tap water supply to every rural household of the country by 2024. As per the Operational Guidelines for the  implementation  of  JJM,  States  /  UTs  have  been  entrusted  with  the  responsibilities  to  prepare  'State Action plan' which inter alia includes developing of strategies for state-wide rejuvenation and cleaning of village  water  bodies/traditional  water  harvesting  structures,  grey  water  treatment  and  reuse.   As  such, protection and preservation of water bodies will be helpful in achieving drinking water security

Government of India has launched AMRUT 2.0 on 1 st October, 2021, covering all the statutory towns of the country to ensure universal coverage of water supply & make cities 'water secure'. It envisages rejuvenation of water bodies, urban aquifer management, promote recycle & reuse and rainwater harvesting to augment freshwater resources. The Aquifer Management Plan will also be prepared to focus on maintaining positive groundwater balance in urban aquifer systems.

The  Bureau  of  Water  Use  Efficiency  (BWUE)  has  been  set  up  for  promotion,  regulation  and  control  of efficient  use  of  water  in  irrigation,  industrial  and  domestic  sector.  The  Bureau  will  be  a  facilitator  for promotion of improving water use efficiency across various sectors namely irrigation, drinking water supply, power generation, industries, etc. in the country.

'Sahi Fasal' campaign was launched to nudge farmers in the water stressed areas to grow crops which are not  water  intensive,  but  use  water  very  efficiently;  and  are  economically  remunerative;  are  healthy  and nutritious; suited to the agro-climatic-hydro characteristics of the area; and are environmentally friendly.

The important steps  taken  by  the  Central  Government  to  control  water  depletion  and  promote  rain  water harvesting/conservation are available at the URL: http://jalshaktidowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/Steps%20taken%20by%20the%20Central%20Govt%20for%20water\_depletio n\_july2022.pdf

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