Lok Sabha Question No. 812 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-21
Subject: Recharge of Ground Water
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Mohanbhai Kalyanji Kundariya

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 812

ANSWERED ON 21.07.2022

## RECHARGE OF GROUND WATER

## 812 SHRI MOHANBHAI KALYANJI KUNDARIYA

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

- (a)   the details of water stressed areas in Gujarat, district-wise;
- (b) whether the Government has taken any initiatives to boost recharge of ground water and harvesting techniques of rain water;
- (c)   if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has any proposal to build rainwater harvesting structures such as percolation tanks and recharge wells in rural areas; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

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

- (a) The  dynamic  groundwater  resources of the country  are being periodically  assessed jointly by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and State Governments. As per the 2020 assessment, out of the  total  248  assessment  units  (Taluks)  in  Gujarat,  twenty  five  (25)  Taluks  in  eight  (08)  districts have been categorized as 'Over-exploited'. Details in this regard is given at Annexure I.
- (b) & (c) Though water is a State subject, Central Government has taken a number of important measures for conservation, management of ground water including effective implementation of rain water harvesting in the country, which can be seen at http://jalshaktidowr.gov.in/sites/default/file/Steps%20taken%20by%20the%20Central%

20Govt%20for%20water\_depletion\_july2022.pdf.  Some  of  the  important initiatives  in  this  regard are also given at Annexure II.

Government of India launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) in 2019 in 256 water stressed districts in the  country  including  Gujarat  which  continued  during  2021  also  to  improve  water  availability including ground water conditions in these areas. Further, the 'Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain' (JSA:CTR)  campaign  for  the  years  2021  and  2022    have  been  launched  by  the  Hon'ble  Prime Minister and Hon'ble President of India respectively. The JSA-2022 shall continue till 30 Nov 2022.

The Government is implementing Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal), a Rs. 6000 crore Central Sector Scheme with World Bank assistance, for sustainable management of ground water resources with community participation in select areas that include 80 districts, 224 administrative blocks and 8562 water stressed Gram Panchayats (GPs) of seven States, viz. Haryana, Gujarat (being implemented in 06 districts, 36 blocks and 2001 GPs) , Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh from 01.04.2020 for a period of 5 years.

Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has taken up Heli-borne survey for expeditious generation of aquifer  related  information  at  a  finer  scale  and  its  management  in  around  1.04  Lakh  Sq  KM, Arid/Semi-Arid  areas  of  Rajasthan,  Gujarat  and  Haryana  under  National  Aquifer  Mapping programme that includes 31436 Sq. Km. of Gujarat .

Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB)  has  prepared  a  Manual  on  Artificial  Recharge  to Groundwater which presents various techniques on artificial recharge and rainwater harvesting for both rural and urban areas which can be utilized by planners/stakeholders. The manuals and reports have been hosted in the CGWB website.

(d)  &  (e) This  Ministry  is  implementing  Jal  Shakti  Abhiyan  (JSA)  across  the  country  with  the primary aim to effectively harvest the Monsoon rainfall in mission mode. The campaign focuses mainly on construction  of  various  rainwater  harvesting  structures,  renovation  of  traditional  water bodies,  reuse  and  recharge  structures  etc.  The  JSA  is  being  implemented  in  convergence  with various  schemes  like  MGNREGA,  PMKSY-Watershed  development  component,  relevant  State schemes etc.

Though  Atal  Bhujal  Yojana  is  a  scheme  concentrating  mostly  on  demand  side  management, construction of certain numbers of percolation tanks and recharge tube wells have been planned in certain districts. Further, as per information received from the State Government   sizeable number of recharge structures and  percolation  tanks  have  been  planned  under  PMKSY-Watershed component in certain water stressed areas of Gujarat.

The Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater- 2020 prepared by the CGWB on macro level  envisages  construction  of  about  13.4  Lakh  rainwater  harvesting  and  artificial  recharge structures in Gujarat including 701 nos. of Percolation Tanks.

*****

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (A) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 812 TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK    SABHA  ON  21.07.2022  REGARDING  'RECHARGE  OF GROUND WATER'.

## District-wise list of over-exploited assessment units in Gujarat

| Districts   | Over-Exploited Assessment Units (Taluks)   |
|-------------|--------------------------------------------|
| Banaskantha | DANTIWADA                                  |
| Banaskantha | DEESA                                      |
| Banaskantha | DEODAR                                     |
| Banaskantha | DHANERA                                    |
| Banaskantha | KANKREJ                                    |
| Banaskantha | LAKHANI                                    |
| Banaskantha | THARAD                                     |
| Gandhinagar | DEHGAM                                     |
| Gandhinagar | GANDHINAGAR                                |
| Junagadh    | BHESAN                                     |
| Junagadh    | JUNAGADH CITY &JUNA                        |
| Junagadh    | MANAVADAR                                  |
| Kachchh     | BHACHAU                                    |
| Kachchh     | BHUJ                                       |
| Kachchh     | MANDVI                                     |
| Mahesana    | BECHARAJI                                  |
| Mahesana    | JOTANA                                     |
| Mahesana    | KHERALU                                    |
| Mahesana    | MAHESANA                                   |
| Mahesana    | SATLASANA                                  |
| Mahesana    | VADNAGAR                                   |
| Patan       | CHANASMA                                   |
| Patan       | SARSVATI(PATAN)                            |
| Sabarkantha | PRANTIJ                                    |
| Vadodara    | PADRA                                      |

## ANNEXURE II

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (b) & (c) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 812 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK  SABHA ON 21.07.2022 REGARDING 'RECHARGE OF GROUND WATER'.

## Important initiatives on management of groundwater resources

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. In this regard, teams of officers from Central Government along-with technical officers from Ministry of Jal Shakti were deputed to visit water stressed districts and to work in close collaboration with district level officials to undertake suitable interventions.

In  addition,  Ministry  of  Jal  Shakti  had  taken  up  the  'Jal  Shakti  Abhiyan:  Catch  the  Rain'  (JSA:CTR)  with  the theme 'Catch the Rain - Where it Falls When it Falls' to cover all the blocks of all districts (rural as well as urban areas) across the country during 22nd March 2021 to 30th November 2021. The campaign was launched by the Hon'ble Prime Minister on 22 March 2021. Further, the Jal Shakti Abhiyan for the year 2022 has been launched by the Hon'ble President of India on 29 Mar 2022 which shall continue till 30 Nov 2022.

Master  Plan  for  Artificial  Recharge  to  Groundwater-  2020  has  been  prepared  by  CGWB  in  consultation  with States/UTs  which  is  a  macro  level  plan  indicating  various  structures  for  the  different  terrain  conditions  of  the country including. The Master Plan - 2020 envisages construction of about 1.42 crore rain water harvesting and artificial recharge structures in the country to harness 185 Billion Cubic Metre (BCM). The Master Plan envisages construction of about 13.4 Lakh Rain water harvesting and artificial recharge structures in Gujarat to harness 4459 Million Cubic Metre (MCM) of monsoon rainfall.

National  Aquifer  Mapping  and  Management  program  (NAQUIM)  is  being  implemented  by  CGWB  as  part  of Ground Water Management and Regulation (GWM & R) Scheme, a Central Sector scheme. NAQUIM envisages mapping of aquifers (water bearing formations), their characterization and development of Aquifer Management Plans to facilitate sustainable management of groundwater resources in the country. NAQUIM outputs are shared with States/UTs for suitable interventions.

Ministry  of  Housing  &  Urban  Affairs  (MoHUA)  has  formulated  guidelines  for  the  States  to  adopt  measures suitable  to  local  conditions,  such  as  Unified  Building  Bye  Laws  (UBBL)  of  Delhi,  2016,  Model  Building  Bye Laws  (MBBL),  2016  and  Urban  and  Regional  Development  Plan  Formulation  and  Implementation  (URDPFI) Guidelines,  2014,  wherein  adequate  focus  has  been  given  on  requirement  of  rainwater  harvesting  and  water conservation measures. As per MBBL, all buildings having a plot size of 100 sq.m. or, more shall mandatorily include  the  complete  proposal  of  rainwater  harvesting.  33  States/  UTs  have  adopted  the  features  of  these  Bye Laws.

Further,  a  number  of  States  have  done  notable  work  in  the  field  of  water  conservation/harvesting  such  as 'Mukhyamantri  Jal  Swavlamban  Abhiyan'  in  Rajasthan,  'Jalyukt  Shibar'  in  Maharashtra,  'Sujalam  Sufalam Abhiyan' in Gujarat, 'Mission Kakatiya' in Telangana, Neeru Chettu' in Andhra Pradesh, Jal Jeevan Hariyali in Bihar, 'Jal Hi Jeevan' in Haryana, and Kudimaramath scheme in Tamil Nadu etc.