Lok Sabha Question No. 3901 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-23
Subject: Per Capita Water Availability
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Anumula Revanth Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI,

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3901

## ANSWERED ON 23.03.2023

## PER CAPITA WATER AVAILABILITY

## 3901. SHRI ANUMULA REVANTH REDDY

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether it is a fact that per capita water availability in the country is declining as a result of the rise in population and if so, the details of likely per capita water availability till 2030, year-wise;

(b) whether the Government is taking steps to increase the per capita water availability and if so, the details of such initiative along with their outcome; and

(c) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to reduce ground water dependency along with the funds allocated and utilised for the same during the last five years?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU )

(a) The  average  annual  water  availability  of  any  region  or  country  is  largely  dependent  upon  hydrometeorological  and geological factors, however,  water  availability per  person  is  dependent  on population of a country. The per capita water availability in the country is reducing due to increase in population. Based on the study titled 'Reassessment of Water Availability in India using Space Inputs, 2019'  conducted  by  Central  Water  Commission,  the  average  annual  per  capita  water  availability  for year 2021 and 2031 has been assessed as 1486 cubic meter and 1367 cubic meter respectively.

(b) & (c) 'Water' being a State subject, steps for augmentation, conservation and efficient management of water resources which positively impact over the issue of per capita water availability are primarily undertaken  by  the  respective  State  Governments.  In  order  to  supplement  the  efforts  of  the  State Governments, Central Government provides technical and financial assistance to them through various schemes and programmes.

Government of India, in partnership  with  State,  is  implementing  Jal  Jeevan  Mission  (JJM)  since August, 2019 to make provision of tap water supply to every rural household of the country. At the time of announcement of the Mission, only 3.23 Crore (17%) rural households had tap water supply. Since the launch of the Mission, more than 8.25 Crore have been provided with tap water connection and as on 20.03.2023. Thus out of 19.42 Crore rural household, around 11.48 Crore (59.15%) rural households are presently getting tap water supply.

Government  of  India  has  launched  Atal  Mission  for  Rejuvenation  and  Urban  Transformation (AMRUT) in 2015 which focuses on development of basic urban infrastructure especially water supply

& access to tap connection to every household in 500 cities. So far, 1,342 projects worth ₹42,761 crore have been grounded including 967 completed projects worth ₹19,018 crore. Through these projects & in convergence with other programmes, 137 lakh household water tap connections have been provided so far.

Taking it forward, AMRUT 2.0 has been launched in 2021 which covers all the statutory towns of the  country  to  ensure  universal  coverage  of  water  supply  &  make  cities  'water  secure'.  For  water availability & conservation, so far, 2,996 water supply projects worth ₹87,896 crore (incl. O&M) have been approved by Apex Committee at Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

To  ensure  optimum  utilization  of  water,  Government  of  India  has  been  implementing  Pradhan Mantri  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojna  (PMKSY)  from  2015-16  onwards.  Under  PMKSY-Accelerated Irrigation  Benefit  Programme  (AIBP),  99  ongoing  major/medium  irrigation  projects  were  prioritized during 2016-17, in consultation with States. Out of these projects, AIBP works of 50 prioritized projects have been reported to be completed. An additional irrigation potential of 24.35 lakh hectare has been reported to be created by these projects in the country, during 2016-17 to 2021-2022. The extension of PMKSY for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26 has been approved by Government of India, with an overall outlay of Rs. 93,068.56 crore. The scheme of Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) and Repair, Renovation & Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies has now become a part of PMKSY-HKKP.

The Mission Amrit Sarovar was launched on National Panchayati Raj Day on 24 th April, 2022 as a part  of  celebration  of  Azadi  ka  Amrit  Mahotsav  with  an  objective  to  conserve  water  for  future.  The Mission is aimed at developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district of the country.

Jal Shakti Abhiyan-I (JSA-I) was conducted in 2019 in 1592 blocks out of 2836 blocks in 256 water stressed districts of the country and was expanded as 'Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain' (JSA:CTR) in 2021 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.   'Jal  Shakti  Abhiyan:  Catch  the  Rain' (JSA:CTR) -2022 campaign, the third in the series of JSAs, has been launched on 29.3.2022 to cover all the blocks of all districts (rural as well as urban areas) across the country. Now, JSA: CTR 2023 has been launched by the Hon'ble President of India on 04.03.2023 across the country. The Campaign will be implemented during 04.03.2023 to 30.11.2023. Following water related works/ afforestation works have been completed/ ongoing  during the period 29.03.2022 to 03.03.2023:

| Water related works across the country in JSA: CTR 2022       | Water related works across the country in JSA: CTR 2022   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
| Water Conservation and Rainwater Harvesting Structures        | 12,28,553                                                 |
| Renovation of Traditional Water Bodies                        | 2,67,472                                                  |
| Reuse and Recharge Structures                                 | 8,74,680                                                  |
| Watershed Development                                         | 16,28,726                                                 |
| Intensive Afforestation                                       | 78,38,36,035                                              |
| No. of districts where Jal Shakti Kendra has been established | 632                                                       |
| No. of districts that have prepared water conservation plan   | 264                                                       |

The Bureau of Water Use Efficiency (BWUE) has been set up for promotion, regulation and control of efficient use of water in irrigation, industrial and domestic sector. The Bureau will be a facilitator for promotion of improving water use efficiency across various sectors namely irrigation, drinking water supply, power generation, industries, etc. in the country.

Central  Ground  Water  Board  is  periodically  monitoring  the  ground  water  levels  throughout  the Country on a regional scale, through a network of monitoring wells. In order to assess the decline in water level on a long-term basis, the water level data collected by CGWB during November 2022 has been compared with the decadal average (2012-2021). Analysis of water level data indicates that about 61% of the wells monitored have registered rise in ground water levels. The rise in ground water level is the cumulative effect of the both Central and State Governments initiatives.

Government of India is implementing Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL), a Central Sector Scheme with an outlay of Rs 6000 crore in identified water stressed areas of 8220 Gram Panchayats (GPs) under 229  blocks  in  80  districts  of  Seven  States  viz.  Gujarat,  Haryana,  Karnataka,  Madhya  Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh with an aim to arrest decline in ground water level through community  led  sustainable  groundwater  management.  The  scheme  is  being  implemented  from 01.04.2020 for a period of 5 years. Allocation and utilization of funds for Atal Bhujal Yojana since its inception is as given below:

| Financial Year   | Funds allocated   | Funds utilized                     |
|------------------|-------------------|------------------------------------|
| 2020-21          | Rs. 125 crore     | Rs. 123.03 crore                   |
| 2021-22          | Rs. 330 crore     | Rs. 327.48 crore                   |
| 2022-23          | Rs. 700 crore     | Rs. 637.64 crore (till 16.03.2023) |

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  grants  No  Objection  Certificates  (NOCs)  for ground  water  abstraction  to  Industries,  Infrastructure  units  and  Mining  projects  in  feasible  areas  in certain States/UTs where regulation is not being done by the respective State/UTs. CGWA also issues notifications and directions to State Governments and the Administrators of the UTs to adopt Roof Top Rain Water Harvesting (RTRWH) in all the 'Critical' and 'Over-exploited' assessment units (blocks / Taluks  /  Firkas  /  Districts  /  Valley  /  Islands  /  Region  /  Tehsil,  etc.  in  the  country  and  in  all  the Government buildings under their jurisdiction.

The important steps taken by the Central Government for sustainable ground water management in the country can be seen at the URL: http://jalshaktidowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/Steps%20taken%20by%20the%20Central%20Govt%20for%20water\_dep letion\_july2022.pdf

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