Lok Sabha Question No. 275 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-08
Subject: Data on Ground Water Level
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Mahesh Sahoo

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI,

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 275 ANSWERED ON 08.12.2022

## DATA ON GROUND WATER LEVEL

## 275 SHRI MAHESH SAHOO

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

(a) whether the Government has prepared data on the ground water level across the country, particularly in Odisha and if so, the details thereof;

(b)  the  details  of  the  measure  undertaken  for  water  conservation  especially  in  mining  areas  for  human consumption; and

(c) the steps being taken by the Government to tackle possible health hazards due to contaminated water being used for drinking and farming in mining areas particularly in Odisha?

## ANSWER

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

(a) Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) is periodically monitoring the ground water levels throughout the Country including Odisha on a regional scale, through a network of monitoring wells. About 78.5% of the  wells  monitored  in  the  country  have  registered  the  water  level  upto  10  meter  below  ground  level (mbgl). State-wise Depth to water level and distribution of percentage of wells for May 2022 is given in Annexure . Further, in Odisha, about 97.8 % of the wells monitored have registered the water level upto 10 mbgl.

(b) Water being State subject, the rainwater harvesting/water conservation for improved water availability in the country falls within States' mandate, however, Central Government has taken a number of initiatives in this regard in the country including mining areas which can be accessed at web-link :

http://jalshakti- dowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/Steps%20taken%20by%20the%20Central%20Govt%20for%20water\_deplet ion\_july2022.pdf

Further,  Central  Government  works  in  close  collaboration  with  States/UTs  including  Odisha  through various initiatives/schemes like Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA), Atal Bhujal Yojana in certain identified water stressed areas, MGNREGA, PMKSY-Watershed development etc to supplement the efforts of States/UTs for  sustainable  management  of  groundwater.  The  JSA  was  launched  in  2019  with  the  primary  aim  to effectively  harvest  the  monsoon  rainfall  through  creation  of  artificial  recharge  structures,  watershed management, recharge and reuse structures, intensive afforestation and awareness generation etc. The JSA has  continued  during  2021  and  2022  which  were  launched  by  the  Hon'ble  Prime  Minister  and  Hon'ble President of India respectively.

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

Further,  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  by industries,  mining  projects  etc  in  the  country.  The  latest  guideline  in  this  regard  with  pan-India applicability was notified by the Ministry on 24 September 2020. CGWA and States issue No Objection Certificate (NOC) for extraction of groundwater by mining projects as per their jurisdiction as per extant guidelines.

(c) Water  being  a  State  subject,  initiatives  for  water  management,  including  tackling  possible  health hazards  due  to  contaminated  water  in  the  country  including  Odisha,  is  primarily  States'  responsibility. However, various steps have been taken by the Central Government to make available safe drinking water in the country including Odisha (including mining areas). Some of them are listed as under.

As  per  information  received  from  Ministry  of  Mines,  sufficient  safe  guards  have  been  providing  in  the Rules for preventing contamination of ground water/water bodies during mining. Chapter V of the Mineral Conservation  and  development  rules,  2017  (MCDR,  2017)  contains  provisions  regarding  Sustainable Mining:

Further  Provision  has  been  made  under  Section  9B  of  the  MMDR  Act,  1957  for  establishing  a  District Mineral  Foundation  (DMF)  in  mining  affected  districts  with  the  objective  to  work  for  the  interest  and benefit of persons and areas affected by mining related operations. The funds accrued under the respective DMFs are implemented through the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY). Further, as  per  the  guidelines  issued  by  Ministry  of  Mines  for  implementation  of  PMKKKY,  60%  of  the  funds accrued under DMF are to be utilized in High Priority Areas which includes Drinking Water.

CGWA groundwater regulation guideline date 24 Sep 2020 includes certain provisions which need to be complied by the Mining projects before extracting the groundwater for their activities.

To make provision of potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on regular & long-term basis to every rural household in the country by 2024, since August, 2019, Government of India in partnership with States including Odisha, is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) -Har Ghar Jal.

Under JJM, while planning for potable water supply to household through tap water connection, priority is to be given to quality-affected habitations. Since, planning, implementation and commissioning of piped water supply scheme based on a safe water source may take time, purely as an interim measure, States/ UTs have been advised to install community water purification plants (CWPPs) especially in Arsenic and Fluoride affected habitations to provide potable water to every household at the rate of 8-10 litre per capita per day (lpcd) to meet their drinking and cooking requirements.

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (A) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 275 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK  SABHA ON 08.12.2022 REGARDING 'DATA ON GROUND WATER'.

## State-wise Depth to water Level and Distribution of Percentage of Wells for the Period of May, 2022

| No   | State             |               | Depth to Water Level (mbgl)   | Depth to Water Level (mbgl)   | Depth to Water Level (mbgl)   | Depth to Water Level (mbgl)   | Depth to Water Level (mbgl)   | Depth to Water Level (mbgl)   | Depth to Water Level (mbgl)   | Depth to Water Level (mbgl)   | Depth to Water Level (mbgl)   | Depth to Water Level (mbgl)   | Depth to Water Level (mbgl)   | Depth to Water Level (mbgl)   |
|------|-------------------|---------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| No   | State             | No of station | 0 - 2                         | 0 - 2                         | 2 - 5                         | 2 - 5                         | 5 - 10                        | 5 - 10                        | 10 - 20                       | 10 - 20                       | 20 - 40                       | 20 - 40                       | > 40                          | > 40                          |
| No   | State             | No of station | No                            | %                             | No                            | %                             | No                            | %                             | No                            | %                             | No                            | %                             | No                            | %                             |
| 1.   | Andhra Pradesh    | 709           | 144                           | 20.3                          | 354                           | 49.9                          | 167                           | 23.6                          | 32                            | 4.5                           | 8                             | 1.1                           | 4                             | 0.6                           |
| 2.   | Arunachal Pradesh | 9             | 0                             | 0.0                           | 3                             | 33.3                          | 5                             | 55.6                          | 1                             | 11.1                          | 0                             | 0.0                           | 0                             | 0.0                           |
| 3.   | Assam             | 171           | 45                            | 26.3                          | 94                            | 55.0                          | 26                            | 15.2                          | 6                             | 3.5                           | 0                             | 0.0                           | 0                             | 0.0                           |
| 4.   | Bihar             | 563           | 43                            | 7.6                           | 328                           | 58.3                          | 182                           | 32.3                          | 10                            | 1.8                           | 0                             | 0.0                           | 0                             | 0.0                           |
| 5.   | Chandigarh        | 10            | 0                             | 0.0                           | 4                             | 40.0                          | 2                             | 20.0                          | 2                             | 20.0                          | 1                             | 10.0                          | 1                             | 10.0                          |
| 6.   | Chhattisgarh      | 709           | 15                            | 2.1                           | 181                           | 25.5                          | 381                           | 53.7                          | 122                           | 17.2                          | 8                             | 1.1                           | 2                             | 0.3                           |
| 7.   | Daman &Diu        | 9             | 0                             | 0.0                           | 3                             | 33.3                          | 6                             | 66.7                          | 0                             | 0.0                           | 0                             | 0.0                           | 0                             | 0.0                           |
| 8.   | Delhi             | 84            | 4                             | 4.8                           | 21                            | 25.0                          | 23                            | 27.4                          | 21                            | 25.0                          | 9                             | 10.7                          | 6                             | 7.1                           |
| 9.   | Goa               | 57            | 0                             | 0.0                           | 26                            | 45.6                          | 24                            | 42.1                          | 7                             | 12.3                          | 0                             | 0.0                           | 0                             | 0.0                           |
| 10.  | Gujarat           | 699           | 24                            | 3.4                           | 156                           | 22.3                          | 239                           | 34.2                          | 211                           | 30.2                          | 64                            | 9.2                           | 5                             | 0.7                           |
| 11.  | Haryana           | 245           | 16                            | 6.5                           | 55                            | 22.4                          | 49                            | 20.0                          | 70                            | 28.6                          | 48                            | 19.6                          | 7                             | 2.9                           |
| 12.  | Himachal Pradesh  | 83            | 6                             | 7.2                           | 30                            | 36.1                          | 22                            | 26.5                          | 19                            | 22.9                          | 6                             | 7.2                           | 0                             | 0.0                           |
| 13.  | Jammu &Kashmir    | 227           | 24                            | 10.6                          | 122                           | 53.7                          | 60                            | 26.4                          | 13                            | 5.7                           | 8                             | 3.5                           | 0                             | 0.0                           |
| 14.  | Jharkhand         | 188           | 10                            | 5.3                           | 43                            | 22.9                          | 123                           | 65.4                          | 12                            | 6.4                           | 0                             | 0.0                           | 0                             | 0.0                           |
| 15.  | Karnataka         | 1312          | 301                           | 22.9                          | 443                           | 33.8                          | 412                           | 31.4                          | 154                           | 11.7                          | 2                             | 0.2                           | 0                             | 0.0                           |
| 16.  | Kerala            | 1378          | 153                           | 11.1                          | 421                           | 30.6                          | 584                           | 42.4                          | 208                           | 15.1                          | 11                            | 0.8                           | 1                             | 0.1                           |
| 17.  | Madhya Pradesh    | 1037          | 15                            | 1.4                           | 132                           | 12.7                          | 521                           | 50.2                          | 336                           | 32.4                          | 30                            | 2.9                           | 3                             | 0.3                           |
| 18.  | Maharashtra       | 1412          | 68                            | 4.8                           | 342                           | 24.2                          | 694                           | 49.2                          | 285                           | 20.2                          | 21                            | 1.5                           | 2                             | 0.1                           |
| 19.  | Meghalaya         | 22            | 5                             | 22.7                          | 14                            | 63.6                          | 3                             | 13.6                          | 0                             | 0.0                           | 0                             | 0.0                           | 0                             | 0.0                           |
| 20.  | Nagaland          | 4             | 0                             | 0.0                           | 0                             | 0.0                           | 3                             | 75.0                          | 1                             | 25.0                          | 0                             | 0.0                           | 0                             | 0.0                           |
| 21.  | Odisha            | 1156          | 125                           | 10.8                          | 582                           | 50.3                          | 424                           | 36.7                          | 25                            | 2.2                           | 0                             | 0.0                           | 0                             | 0.0                           |
| 22.  | Pondicherry       | 4             | 0                             | 0.0                           | 4                             | 100.0                         | 0                             | 0.0                           | 0                             | 0.0                           | 0                             | 0.0                           | 0                             | 0.0                           |
| 23.  | Punjab            | 224           | 7                             | 3.1                           | 40                            | 17.9                          | 38                            | 17.0                          | 66                            | 29.5                          | 66                            | 29.5                          | 7                             | 3.1                           |
| 24.  | Rajasthan         | 871           | 17                            | 2.0                           | 93                            | 10.7                          | 206                           | 23.7                          | 230                           | 26.4                          | 167                           | 19.2                          | 158                           | 18.1                          |
| 25.  | Tamilnadu         | 613           | 110                           | 17.9                          | 280                           | 45.7                          | 169                           | 27.6                          | 46                            | 7.5                           | 3                             | 0.5                           | 5                             | 0.8                           |
| 26.  | Telangana         | 553           | 32                            | 5.8                           | 179                           | 32.4                          | 213                           | 38.5                          | 103                           | 18.6                          | 21                            | 3.8                           | 5                             | 0.9                           |
| 27.  | Uttar Pradesh     | 617           | 15                            | 2.4                           | 254                           | 41.2                          | 227                           | 36.8                          | 96                            | 15.6                          | 23                            | 3.7                           | 2                             | 0.3                           |
| 28.  | Uttaranchal       | 44            | 0                             | 0.0                           | 13                            | 29.5                          | 13                            | 29.5                          | 14                            | 31.8                          | 2                             | 4.5                           | 2                             | 4.5                           |
| 29.  | West Bengal       | 729           | 70                            | 9.6                           | 267                           | 36.6                          | 238                           | 32.6                          | 123                           | 16.9                          | 31                            | 4.3                           | 0                             | 0.0                           |
|      | Total             | 13739         | 1249                          | 9.1                           | 4484                          | 32.6                          | 5054                          | 36.8                          | 2213                          | 16.1                          | 529                           | 3.8                           | 210                           | 1.5                           |

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