Lok Sabha Question No. 3089 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-16
Subject: New National Water Policy
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Arjunlal Meena

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI, DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †3089

ANSWERED ON 16.12.2021

## NEW NATIONAL WATER POLICY

## †3089.          SHRI ARJUN LAL MEENA

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to introduce a new National Water Policy;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the works carried out and the schemes being formulated by the Government for water conservation and to ensure the availability of drinking water during the last one year;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  is  running  or  proposes  to  run  an  awareness  programme  for  drinking  water, irrigation and water conservation; and

(e)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  role  of  the  Government  and  Non-Government  organisations therein?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

(SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU)

(a)  &  (b)  At  present  the  National  Water  Policy  -  2012  is  in  effect.  However,  to  address  the  present challenges in water sector, revision of National Water Policy has been envisaged and a drafting committee was constituted to revise the National Water Policy.

(c)  to  (e)  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.

Government of India in partnership with States, is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) - Har Ghar Jal which aims at providing potable water in adequate quantity of prescribed quality on regular and long-term basis to every rural household, through tap water connection, by 2024 with an estimated outlay of Rs.3.60 lakh crore. The water sources which inter alia include groundwater, 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.

Government  of  India launched Atal Mission for Rejuvenation &  Urban  Transformation (AMRUT) as a water focused national urban mission in 2015 with an aim to achieve universal coverage of water  supply  in  500  Mission  cities  for  five  years  which  is  extended  till march 2023 for completion of

projects. At the inception of AMRUT, the water supply coverage was 64% and by the end of the Mission it aims to cover 100% households. The target is to provide 139 lakh water tap connections to achieve universal coverage. So far 115 lakh new water tap connections have been provided under AMRUT, in convergence with other schemes.

Atal Mission for Rejuvenation & Urban Transformation 2.0 (AMRUT 2.0) has been launched on 1st October, 2021 to carry forward the objective of universal coverage of water supply from 500 cities to all statutory towns. AMRUT 2.0 focuses on making the cities 'self-reliant' and 'water secure'. Mission targets provision  of  2.68  crore  tap  connections  to  achieve  the  intended  outcomes.  Total  indicative  outlay  for AMRUT 2.0 is ₹2,77,000 crore including central share of ₹76,760 crore for five years from FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26.

AMRUT 2.0 aims to  promote  circular  economy  of  water  through  development  of  City  Water Balance Plan for each city focusing on recycle/reuse of treated sewage, rejuvenation of water bodies and water conservation.

CGWB have taken up artificial recharge work in select Aspirational Districts in the year 2018 and completed the same in 2020. Appropriate structures were constructed to harvest the runoff water in streams for  storage  at  suitable  locations  for  augmenting  recharge  of  the  ground  water.  The  structures  constructed included check dams, percolation tanks, subsurface barrier, recharge wells and recharge shafts.

CGWB has taken up Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme during XII Plan, under the scheme  of  Ground  Water  Management  and  Regulation  for  the  entire  country.  The  aquifer  mapping programme is aimed at delineating aquifer disposition and their characterization for preparation of aquifer/ area  specific  ground  water  management plans, with community participation. The management plans are shared with the respective State Governments for taking appropriate measures for implementation.

National Water Mission had launched a campaign 'Sahi Fasal' campaign on 14.11.2019 to nudge farmers in the water stressed areas to grow crops which are not water intensive, but use water efficiently, and  are  economically  remunerative.    Under  Sahi  Fasal,  series  of  workshops  have  been  organized  in  the water  stressed  areas  of  the  country,  including  four  workshops  in  Amritsar  (Punjab)  on  14.11.2019,  New Delhi  on  26-27.11.2019,  Aurangabad  (Maharashtra)  on  13.01.2020  and  Kurukshetra  (Haryana)  on 14.02.2020.

National Water Mission has launched another campaign 'Catch the Rain' with the tag line 'Catch the  rain,  where  it  falls,  when  it  falls'  to  nudge  the  States  and  all  stakeholders  to  create  Rain  Water Harvesting Structures (RWHS) suitable to the climatic conditions and sub-soil strata, with people's active participation, before the onset of monsoon to ensure storage of rainwater.

Ministry of Jal Shakti launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan-I (JSA-I), a campaign for water conservation and water security, in 256 water-stressed districts of the country. Under JSA-I, officers, groundwater experts and scientists from the Government of India have worked with State and District officials in these waterstressed districts of the country to promote water conservation and water resource management by focusing on accelerated implementation of five target interventions, viz, water conservation & rainwater harvesting, renovation  of  traditional  and  other  water  bodies/tanks,  reuse  and  recharge  of  bore  wells,  water  shed development and intensive afforestation.

The  second  'Jal  Shakti  Abhiyan,  Catch  The  Rain'  (JSA:CTR)  campaign,  was  launched  by Hon'ble Prime Minister  on 22 March 2021,  with the theme - 'Catch The Rain, Where it falls,  When it falls'.  JSA:CTR  is  taken  up  in  all  districts  (rural  as  well  as  urban  areas)  of  the  country  during  the  premonsoon and monsoon period in the country i.e. from March 2021 to 30 November 2021.

Government of India has launched 3 rd edition of 'Water Heroes-Share Your Stories' contest on 01.12.2021 for one year to promote the value of water in general and for supporting country-wide efforts on water conservation and sustainable development of water resources. This contest is aimed at sharing stories of people who are contributing towards water conservation.

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