Lok Sabha Question No. 651 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-04
Subject: Ground Water Availability in Punjab
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Sukhbir Singh Badal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 651

ANSWERED ON 04.02.2021

## GROUND WATER AVAILAB ILITY IN PUNJAB

## 651. SHRI SUKHBIR SINGH BADAL

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware of the ground water availability to Punjab farmers f purposes and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government is aware that Eighty percent o f Punjab Ground Water Blocks have dried up in a bid to provide foodgrains to the rest of the country and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government has taken any note of such a serious situation of Punjab waters details thereof; and

(d) whether the Government has made any plan to help Punjab regain its precious water resourc the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI & SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT

## (SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA )

(a)    The  Dynamic Ground  Water  Resources  of  the  country  including  Punjab  are  being  period assessed  jointly  by  Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB)  and  State  Governments.  As  per  the assessment,  in  Punjab,  the  Total  Annual  Ground  Water  Recharge  is  about  23.9  Billion  C ubic  Meter (BCM)  and  the  Annual  Extractable  Ground  Water  Resource  is  about  21.6  BCM.  The  Annual  Gro Water Extraction for all uses is about 35.8 BCM out of which about 34.6 BCM has been ut Irrigation activities.

(b) & (c)As per the 2017 ass essment, out of the total 138 assessment units (Block) in Punjab, 1 (79%) have been categorized as 'Over -exploited' where the Annual Ground Water Extraction is more than Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource. Further 02 units have been categoriz ed as 'Critical', 05 units as 'Semi -critical' and 22 units as 'Safe'.

(d)  Water  being  a  State  subject,  initiatives  on  water  management  including  conservation harvesting in the Country is primarily States' responsibility. However, the important measures taken by the Central Government for conservation, management of ground water and effective implement rain water harvesting in the country are at the following URL:

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

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 conditi water stressed blocks of 256 districts in India (including in 20 districts of Punjab). In th of officers from Central Government along - with technical officers from Ministry of Jal Shakti were de to visit water stressed districts and to work in close collaboration with district level of suitable  interventions.  Further,  Mini stry  launched  'JSA -II Catch  the  Rain'  on  21  December  2020  for awareness generation among people.

Central  Government  supports  construction  of  water  harvesting  and  conservation primarily through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Schem e (MGNREGS). As per information received from Department of Rural Development, water conservation and water ha works taken up / completed under MGNREGS in last two years is given as under:

|        | 2020- 21     | 2020- 21                 | 2020- 21     | 2020- 21                 | 2019- 20     | 2019- 20                 | 2019- 20     | 2019- 20                 |
|--------|--------------|--------------------------|--------------|--------------------------|--------------|--------------------------|--------------|--------------------------|
| State  | COMPLETED    | COMPLETED                | ONGOING      | ONGOING                  | COMPLETED    | COMPLETED                | ONGOING      | ONGOING                  |
| State  | NO. OF WORKS | EXPENDITURE IN RS. LAKHS | NO. OF WORKS | EXPENDITURE IN RS. LAKHS | NO. OF WORKS | EXPENDITURE IN RS. LAKHS | NO. OF WORKS | EXPENDITURE IN RS. LAKHS |
| PUNJAB | 243          | 237                      | 1488         | 859                      | 476          | 586                      | 1094         | 495                      |

As  per  information  received  from  Government  of  Punjab  initiatives  taken  by  th sustainable management of the ground water in the State is given at Annexure .

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## Annexure referred  to  in  reply  to  part  (d )  of  Lok  Sabha Unstarred Question  No.651to  be answered on 04.02.2021 on ' GROUND WATER AVAILAB ILITY IN PUNJAB '.

## Initiatives taken by Punjab for sustainable management of the ground water in the State

1. Punjab  Water  Resources  (Management  and  Regulation)  Act,  2020  has  been  notified 12.02.2020. The Punjab Water Regulation and Development Authority under the Act h been constituted which will work as per the State Water Plan, to be approved by t Water Council.
2. State Government has set - up a dedicated Directorate of Ground Water Management, with the prime objective of conserving and managing water resources.
3. Punjab  Government  has  engaged  M/s  Mekorot,  National  Water  Company  of  Israel  to formulate the Water Conservation and Management Master Plan for the State of Punjab.
4. The Punjab Preservation of Sub - Soil Water Ordinance, 2008 - The Ordinance provides for the prohibition of sowing nursery of paddy before 10th May and transplanting paddy 15th Ju ne. The contravention of the provisions of the Ordinance invites penalty, in to the expenses incurred for destroying the nursery of paddy sown or, transplanted b specified or notified dates.
5. Diversification from Paddy to Maize under Natio nal Adaptation for climate change for 2019 -20 has been undertaken for 2019 - 20.
6. Encouragement  of  Resource  Conservation  Technology  (RCT)  like  Laser  Land  Leveling Zera  Tilling,  etc.  is  being  done  in  farming  communities.  The  State  government  pr subsidy to farmers for custom hiring of this machinery.
7. Medium/Short Duration Rice Cultivars are being promoted over long duration ones, to water.Information regarding the same is being disseminated at district, block and level camps. Further, thes e varieties are being popularized through demonstration plots.
8. Rain  Efficient  Conveyance  of  Irrigation  Water  through  Under  Ground  Pipeline  Sys (UGPS): The Department of Soil and Water Conservation, Punjab has prepared action p for underground pipeli ne benefitting selected area during next 5 years. The Departmen implementing schemes for promoting pipe line based irrigation system by providing fi assistance.
9. Micro Irrigation: Farmers growing vegetables/horticulture crops and some regions whi ch are not conductive to paddy cultivation are being tapped for 100% coverage of micro irr The Department has prepared action plan for Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation systems next 5 years. 14 clusters of area have been identified, out of which , project proposal for 5 clusters  have  been  submitted  for  funding  under  National  Adaptation  Fund  for  Cl Change. Remaining clusters shall be taken up under NABARD.
10. 10.Use of Treated Water for Irrigation: Government of Punjab has irrigation projects from Sewerage Treatment Plants of the State.

implement

- 11.Roof Top Rain Water Harvesting has been made mandatory in all buildings above 200 yards by amending the buildings by - laws vide Notification dated 28.12.2005. Roof Top Rain Water Harvesting is being considered to be made mandatory (outside municipal limits als in buildings constructed in areas where water table is falling.
12. The 'Paani Bachao, Paisa Kamao' Scheme was launched by Government of Punjab to check depletion of underground water by offering monetarybenefits to the farmers for every unit of power they save.
- 13.Punjab  has  constructed  low  dams  to  provide  irrigation  facilities  under  Bharat Program. These dams facilitate in augmenting the Ground Water Resources of the State arresting the declining ground water table.

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