Lok Sabha Question No. 4697 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-31
Subject: Water Scarcity
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Jugal Kishore Sharma, Riti Pathak, Dileshwar Kamait, Geeta Kora

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI,

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4697

ANSWERED ON 31.03.2022

## WATER SCARCITY

†4697.  SHRI JUGAL KISHORE SHARMA SHRI DILESHWAR KAMAIT

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether water scarcity is a matter of concern at present and also for the future;
- (b) if so, whether the Government has formulated any policy to address the said issue and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the details of the regions in the country which are facing water scarcity till date;
- (d) whether people are encouraged to store water through Jal Mitra and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)  the  details  of  the  number  of  Jal  Mitras  involved  in  the  Jal  Shakti  Abhiyaan  till  date,  State  and districtwise?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## (SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU)

(a)  to  (c) As  per  the  National  Commission  on  Integrated  Water  Resources  Development  (NCIWRD)  Report-1999, water requirement of the country for High Demand scenario for the year 2050 is 1180 BCM.

As  per  study  titled  'Reassessment  of  Water  Availability  in  India  using  Space  Inputs,  2019'  conducted  by  Central Water  Commission  in  collaboration  with  NRSC,  the  average  annual  water  resources  availability  in  the  country  is assessed as 1999.20 BCM. It is estimated that owing to topographic, hydrological and other constraints, the utilizable water is 1,126 BCM.

The Central Government formulated the National Water Policy in 1987, which was subsequently reviewed and revised in the year 2002 and 2012. The National Water Policy has been sent to all States/ UTs for appropriate action. National Water Policy (2012) inter-alia advocates rainwater harvesting and conservation of water and highlights the need for augmenting the availability of water through direct use of rainfall. It also inter-alia, advocates conservation of river, river  bodies  and  infrastructure  should  be  undertaken  in  a  scientifically  planned  manner  through  community participation.  Further,  encroachment  and  diversion  of  water  bodies  and  drainage  channels  must  not  be  allowed  and wherever, it has taken place, it should be restored to the extent feasible.

National  Water  Development  Agency  (NWDA)  has  carried  out  water  balance  studies  of  a  number  of  basins/  subbasins/  diversion  points.  After  carrying  out  the  studies,  NWDA  has  identified  surplus  and  deficit  river  basins  for framing of link proposals for transfer of water.

Dynamic Ground Water 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 6965 assessment units (Blocks/ Taluks/  Mandals/  watersheds/  Firkas)  in  the  country,  1114  units  in  15  States/UTs  have  been  categorized  as  'Overexploited' where the Annual Ground Water Extraction is more than Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource.

(d) & (e) Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) and Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA:CTR) were steps of the Government with involvement of officers and experts from stakeholder Ministries/ Departments for water conservation and rain water harvesting with people's participation. There is no information available on involvement of Jal Mitra in JSA/ JSA:CTR, however, some of the States may have involved volunteers at their level in water conservation awareness campaigns.

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SHRIMATI RITI PATHAK SHRIMATI GEETA KORA