Lok Sabha Question No. 791 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-21
Subject: Restoration of Water Bodies in Tamil Nadu
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: D. M. Kathir Anand

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 791

ANSWERED ON 21.07.2022

## RESTORATION OF WATER BODIES IN TAMIL NADU

## 791 SHRI D.M. KATHIR ANAND

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

(a) whether the Government has unveiled any comprehensive scheme for the restoration, rejuvenation and conservation of water bodies in Tamil Nadu during the last three years;

(b) if so, the details thereof; and

(c) the steps taken by the Government to increase the catchment area of water bodies in Tamil Nadu and the total funds allocated for the same during the last three years?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (c) Planning,  funding,  execution  and  maintenance  of  water  bodies,  including  their  restoration, rejuvenation  and  conservation  and  increase  of  their  catchment  area,  lies  in  the  domain  of  the  State Government concerned. Role of Government of India is limited to providing technical support and in some cases, partial financial assistance under the existing schemes.

However, some of the major initiatives taken by Government of India in this regard are as below:

1. This Ministry is providing financial assistance to the identified schemes under Repair, Renovation and Restoration  of  Water  Bodies  (RRR  of  WBs)  component  of  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana (PMKSY)-Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP). During the financial years 2019-2022, 3 clusters consisting of 207 number  of  water  bodies  have  been  included  under  RRR  of  WBs  scheme  from  Tamil  Nadu,  with  an estimated cost of Rs. 122.87 crore. Against total central assistance  of Rs. 73.72 crore, Rs. 33.47 crore has been released so far as per the norms of the scheme. 76 number of water bodies out of the above 207, have been reported to be complete.

2.  Rejuvenation  of  water  bodies  is  also  a  component  under  Water  Supply  sector  of  Atal  Mission  for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) Scheme under Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs. Further,  AMRUT  2.0  launched  in  October,  2021,  with  a  total  outlay  of  Rs.  2,99,000  crore  targets  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. Tamil Nadu has been allotted Rs. 4,935 crore  for AMRUT 2.0.

3. In 2019, Jal Shakti Abhiyan was launched by the Government. This was followed in 2021, by 'Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch The Rain' (JSA:CTR) campaign. On account of success of Jal Shakti Abhiyans of 2019 and 2021 in generating awareness amongst the citizens of the country, 'Jal JSA:CTR 2022 campaign was launched by the Hon'ble President of India on 29th of March 2022. The campaign has been taken up in all districts (rural as well as urban) of the country, including Tamil Nadu. The main theme of the campaign is 'Catch the Rain, where it falls, when it falls'. Focused interventions under these annual campaigns taken up by the Government of India and the State Governments, inter-alia, include renovation of traditional and other water bodies/ tanks, enumeration, geo-tagging and making inventory of all water bodies, and removal of encroachments of tanks/ lakes, and de-silting of tanks, and protection of water catchment area.

4.  With  a  view  to  conserve  water  for  the  future,  the  Prime  Minister  launched  a  new  Mission  on  Amrit Sarovar on 24th April 2022. The Mission is aimed at developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district  of  the  country  as  a  part  of  celebration  of  Azadi  ka  Amrit  Mahotsav.  In  total,  it  would  lead  to creation of 50,000 water bodies of a size of about an Acre or more. This Mission has been launched with a whole of Government approach,  with participation of 6 Ministries/Departments of Government of India. The  Mission  works  through  the  States  and  districts,  through  refocusing  of  various  schemes  such  as Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGS,  XV  Finance  Commission  Grants,  PMKSY  sub  schemes  such  as  Watershed Development Component, Har Khet Ko Pani besides States' own schemes, and also mobilisation of citizen and non Government resources for supplementing these efforts. The Mission is to be completed by 15th August 2023. 5. Government of India has launched the first Census of Water bodies in convergence with the Sixth round of  Minor  Irrigation  Census  (reference  year  2017-18),  under  the  centrally  sponsored  scheme-  'Irrigation Census'. The objective of the Census of Water bodies is to develop a national database of all water bodies in the country, including Tamil Nadu. Presently, the field work and data processing activities of the Census of Water bodies is nearing completion in various States/UTs. As per data available from the first Census of Water bodies, the provisional figures of number of water bodies in Tamil Nadu is 1,06,957. 6. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) has provisions for public works  relating  to  natural  resource  management,  water  conservation  and  water  harvesting  structures  to augment and improve ground water like underground dykes, earthen dams, stop dams, check dams and roof top rain water harvesting structures in public buildings.

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