Lok Sabha Question No. 2928 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-05
Subject: Water Crisis
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Gaurav Gogoi

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2928

ANSWERED ON 05.08 .2021

## WATER CRISIS

## 2928. SHRI GAURAV GOGOI

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) the details of the steps taken/being taken by the Government to tackle the recent wate States particularly in Delhi; and

(b) the details of the number of households that have acces s to clean drinking water along with the s taken by the Government to increase this number?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI & FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES

## ( SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL )

(a ) & ( b) Water being a State subject, steps for augmentation, conservation and efficient m water resources are primarily undertaken by the respective State Governments. In order to s efforts of the State Governments, Central Government p rovides technical and financial assistance to through various schemes and programmes.

The Government of India, in partnership with States, is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission - Har Ghar Jal , which aims at providing potable water in adequate quantity of prescribed quality on regular an long term basis to every rural household through tap water connection by 2024.

Government  of  India  has  launched Atal  Mission  for  Rejuvenation  and  Urban  Transformati (AMRUT) on 25 th June, 2015 in select 500 cities and to wns across the country. The water supply compone includes  new,  augmentation  and  rehabilitation  of  water  supply  system;  rejuvenation  of  wat drinking  water  supply  and  special  water  supply  arrangement  for  difficult  areas,  hills  an es, including those having water quality problem .

Under Har  Khet  Ko  Pani  (HKKP) component  of Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana (PMKSY), Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies Scheme was launched which a revive irrigation poten tial by improvement and restoration of water bodies by enhancing the tan capacity,  along  with  other  multiple  objectives  such  as  ground  water  recharge,  increased drinking  water,  improvement  of  catchment  of  tank  commands  etc.  Under  t he  Repair,  Renovation  and Restoration of Water Bodies scheme, since 12 th plan onwards, 2,228 schemes are ongoing. Further, 1 water bodies have been reported to be completed upto March, 2021. Target irrigation potentia these schemes is 1 .89 lakh hectare and out of this, 1.31 lakh hectare is reported to be resto 2021.

During 2016 - 17, ninety -nine (99) on -going major/medium irrigation projects (and 7 phases) PMKSY -Accelerated  Irrigation  Benefits Programme  (AIBP) have  been  prioritized  in  consultation  w States  for  completion  in  phases  out  of  which  AIBP  works  of  44  projects  have  been  rep completed/almost completed. During 2016 - 17 to 2020 - 21, irrigation potential of 22.47 lakh hectare h s been reported to be created by these projects in the country.

Atal Bhujal Yojana , a Central Sector Scheme, with focus on community participation, side interventions and convergence of ongoing schemes for sustainable ground water manageme being implemented  from  1  April  2020  in  seven  States -Gujarat,  Haryana,  Karnataka,  Madhya  Pradesh Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

National  Water  Mission  had  started  a  campaign "Sahi  Fasal" to  nudge  farmers  to  favor agricultural crops which cons ume less water and to use water more efficiently in agriculture, a demand side management.

National Water Mission, in a bid to draw attention to critical aspects of water, dialogue  and  information  sharing  among  participants  on  va riety  of  water  related  topics,  has  initi monthly seminar series -'Water Talk' on 22nd March, 2019, the World Water Day. The 'Water Talk' is intended to create awareness, build capacities of stakeholders and to encourage people to parti cipants in the conservation and saving of water. The 'Water Talk' provides a platform wherein, among other  Water  Talkers  (which  include  academicians,  bureaucrats,  activists,  water  experts), representatives of NGOs also participate and showcas e the best practices in water sector in villag cities / towns across the country.

Furthermore, Fifteenth Finance Commission (FFC) in its report for 2021 - 26, has earmarked 60 per cent for national priorities like drinking water supply and rainwater h arvesting and sanitation, out of total grants earmarked for Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI). For fifty Million - Plus cities, two - thirds of allocation of funds under Challenge Fund of Rs. 38,196 crore is meant for meeting service lev on drinking water supply, rainwater harvesting, water recycling, solid waste management and s

The FFC report also emphasises on sustainable and efficient water use and has sugg ways to reduce and rationalise water use in agriculture: (i) by replacing free or subsidised power supply agriculture  with  direct  benefit  transfers  (DBT),  (ii)  encouraging  use  of  new  technologie sprinkler, sensor - based irrigation to get more crop per drop, and (iii) by conserving and rainwat rvesting to increase the availability of surface as well as of groundwater. FFC has recommended in - base grants to States that maintain and augment groundwater stock and maintain a check on any fal table.

Additionally,  Renukaji  Dam  Project  envisaged  498  MCM  water  to  NCT  of  Delhi.  Lak Multipurpose Project envisages 33,780 Ha of irrigation along with 300 MW power generations MCM drinking & industrial water supply to Upper Yamuna Basin states inc luding Delhi as per agreement signed by them. Kishau Multipurpose Project envisages drinking water supply upto 617 MCM, benefit of 0.97 Lakh Ha to Upper Yamuna Basin states. Also, Memorandum of Understanding (Mo been signed between the Sta te of Himachal Pradesh and NCT of Delhi on 20.12.2019 for usage of unu Yamuna water share of Himachal Pradesh by Delhi.

At the time of announcement of Jal Jeevan Mission, only 3.23 crore households were have tap water connections. Since then, another 4.64 crore rural households have been provided ta connections. As on date, out of 19.12 crore rural households, 7.87 crore households have tap homes.

As  per  Delhi  Jal  Board  (DJB),  Government  of  NCT  of  Delhi,  to  overco me  water  crisis  and augment raw water resources in Delhi, DJB has laid water pipelines in large number of coloni six  years  leading  to  achieving  an  increase  of  7,67,623  number  of  water  connections.  Th 27,28,348  households  with  DJ B  water  connection,  including  individual  connections  as  well  a housing societies with bulk connections.

Some steps taken by the Central Government to control ground water depletion and pr water harvesting/conservation are available at the URL:

http://jalshakti - dowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/Steps\_to\_control\_water\_depletion\_Feb2021.pdf

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