Lok Sabha Question No. 1234 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-09
Subject: Ground Water availability in Punjab
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Sukhbir Singh Badal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI,

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1234

ANSWERED ON 09.02.2023

## GROUND WATER AVAILABILITY IN PUNJAB

1234.    SHRI SUKHBIR SINGH BADAL

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  shortage  of  ground  water  availability  to  Punjab  farmers  for irrigation purposes in Punjab and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government is aware that 80 percent of Ground Water Blocks in Punjab have dried up in a bid to provide foodgrains to the rest of the country and if so, the details thereof;

(c)  whether the Government has taken any note of such a serious situation of Punjab waters and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) whether the Government has any proposal to assist Punjab to regain its precious water resource, if so, the details thereof and if not, reasons therefor?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU

## )

(a) The Dynamic Ground Water Resources of the country including Punjab are being periodically assessed jointly by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and State Governments. As per the latest assessment (2022) in  Punjab,  the  Total  Annual  Ground  Water  Recharge  is  about  18.94  Billion  Cubic  Meter  (BCM)  and  the Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource is about 17.07 BCM. The Annual Ground Water Extraction for all uses is about 28.02 BCM out of which about 26.69 BCM (95%) has been utilized for Irrigation activities. (b) As per the 2022 assessment, out of the total 153 assessment units (Block) in Punjab, 117 units (76.5%) have been categorized as 'Over-exploited' where the Annual Ground Water Extraction is more than Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource. 04 assessment units have been categorized as 'Critical', 15 assessment units as 'Semi- critical' and 17 assessment units as 'Safe'.

(c) & (d) Yes sir, the Government has noted the deteriorating situation of groundwater in certain States of the country including Punjab and taken a number of initiatives to improve the groundwater scenario.

Government of India launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) in 2019, a time bound campaign with a mission mode approach intended to improve water availability including ground water conditions in the water stressed blocks of 256 districts in India (including 20 districts in Punjab). The primary aim of JSA was to effectively harvest  the  monsoon  rainfall  through  creation  of  artificial  recharge  structures,  watershed  management, recharge and reuse structures, intensive afforestation and awareness generation etc. JSA for the year 2021 and 2022 with pan India coverage were launched by Hon'ble Prime Minister and Hon'ble President on 22.03.2021 and 29.03.2022 respectively.

Central  Government  generally  supports  construction  of  water  harvesting  and  conservation  works primarily  through  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (MGNREGS).  As  per information of MGNREGS website (as on 03.02.2023), water conservation and water harvesting works taken up / completed under MGNREGA in last year and current year is given as under :

| 2021-22             | 2021-22                   | 2021-22       | 2021-22                   | 2022-23 (as on 03.02.2023)   | 2022-23 (as on 03.02.2023)   | 2022-23 (as on 03.02.2023)   | 2022-23 (as on 03.02.2023)   |
|---------------------|---------------------------|---------------|---------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|
| COMPLETED           | COMPLETED                 | ONGOING       | ONGOING                   | COMPLETED                    | COMPLETED                    | ONGOING                      | ONGOING                      |
| State NO. OF WOR KS | EXPENDITU RE IN RS. LAKHS | NO. OF WOR KS | EXPENDITU RE IN RS. LAKHS | NO. OF WOR KS                | EXPENDITU RE IN RS. LAKHS    | NO. OF WOR KS                | EXPENDITU RE IN RS. LAKHS    |
| PUNJA 712           | 1108.06                   | 1850          | 680.41                    | 470                          | 346.13                       | 2243                         | 1491.52                      |

Hon'ble Prime Minister launched Amrit Sarovar Mission on 24th April 2022. The Mission is aimed at developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district of the country including Punjab as a part of celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Central  Ground  Water  Authority  (CGWA)  has  been  constituted  under  Section  3(3)  of  the 'Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986'  for  the  purpose  of  regulation  and  control  of  ground  water development  and  management  in  the  country.  CGWA  has  advised  States/UTs  to  take  measures  to promote/adopt artificial recharge to ground water / rain water harvesting. The latest guideline for control and regulation of groundwater extraction, with pan-India applicability including Punjab, was notified by the Ministry on 24 September 2020.

CGWB has taken up National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM) under the scheme of Ground Water Management and Regulation. The Aquifer Mapping is aimed to delineate 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  /  implementation.  In  Punjab,  the  entire  mappable area  of  50,368  Sq.  km.  has  been  covered  and  the  management  plans  are  shared  with  the  State government for taking appropriate measures.

Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater- 2020 has been prepared by the CGWB with States/UTs  providing  a  broad  outline  of  the  project  and  expected  investments.  The  Master  Plan envisages construction of about 1.42 crore Rain water harvesting and artificial recharge structures in the Country to harness 185 Billion Cubic Metre (BCM) of water. In Punjab, Master plan envisages about 11 Lakh Rain water harvesting and artificial recharge structures to harness about 1200 Million Cubic Meter (MCM) of rain-water.

Punjab Water Resources (Management and Regulation) Act, 2020 has been notified on 12.02.2020. The Punjab Water Regulation and Development Authority under the Act has been constituted.

The  'Paani  Bachao,  Paisa  Kamao'  Scheme  was  launched  by  Government  of  Punjab  to  check depletion of underground water by offering monetary benefits to the farmers for every unit of power they save.

The other important steps taken by the Government of Punjab for sustainable management of the ground water in the State of Punjab is given at Annexure.

## ANNEXURE

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) & (d) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1234 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.02.2023 ON 'GROUND  WATER AVAILABILITY IN PUNJAB'.

## Initiatives taken by Punjab for sustainable management of the ground water in the State

1. State Government has set-up a dedicated Directorate of Ground Water Management, with the prime objective of conserving and managing water resources.
2. Punjab Government has engaged M/s Mekorot, National Water Company of Israel to formulate the Water Conservation and Management Master Plan for the State of Punjab.
3. The  Punjab  Preservation  of  Sub-Soil  Water  Ordinance,  2008-  The  Ordinance  provides  for  the prohibition  of  sowing  nursery  of  paddy  before  10th  May  and  transplanting  paddy  as  notified  by State  Government,  i.e.  before  15th  June.  The  contravention  of  the  provisions  of  the  Ordinance invites penalty, in addition to the expenses incurred for destroying the nursery of paddy sown or transplanted before the specified or notified dates.
4. Diversification  from  Paddy to  Maize under  National Adaptation for climate change for 2019-20. Area under cotton has also been taken during 2019-20.
5. Encouragement  of  Resource  Conservation  Technology  (RCT)  like  Laser  Land  Leveling,  Zera Tilling,  etc.  is  being  done  in  farming  communities.  The  state  government  provides  subsidy  to farmers for custom hiring of this machinery.
6. Medium/Short Duration Rice Cultivars are being promoted over long duration ones, to save water. Information  regarding  the  same  is  being  disseminated  at  district,  block  and  village  level  camps. Further, these varieties are being popularized through demonstration plots.
7. Micro  Irrigation:  Farmers  growing  vegetables/horticulture  crops  and  some  regions  in  Kandi  area which  are  not  conductive  to  paddy  cultivation  are  being  tapped  for  100%  coverage  of  micro irrigation. The Department has installed this in Talwara and Hazipur block of District Hoshiarpur.
8. Use of Treated Water for Irrigation: Government of Punjab has implemented irrigation    projects from Sewerage Treatment Plants of the State.
9. Roof Top Rain Water Harvesting has been made mandatory in all buildings above 200 Sq. Yards. by amending the buildings by-laws vide Notification dated 28.12.2005.
10. Punjab  has  constructed  low  dams  to  provide  irrigation  facilities  under  Bharat  Nirman  Program. These dams facilitate in augmenting the Ground Water Resources of the State & in arresting the declining ground water table.

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