Lok Sabha Question No. 1514 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-15
Subject: Atal Bhujal Yojana in Uttar Pradesh
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Rajesh Verma, Pradeep Kumar Chaudhary

1514

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1514

ANSWERED ON 15.12.2022

## ATAL BHUJAL YOJANA IN UTTAR PRADESH

SHRI RAJESH VERMA

SHRI PRADEEP KUMAR CHAUDHARY

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

(a) the efforts being made to change the agricultural practices in the areas where 'Atal Bhujal Yojana' is being implemented which adversely affect the conservation of underground water;

(b) the funds sanctioned by the Government for the implementation of the Atal Bhujal Yojana for the current financial year;

(c)  the  status  of  implementation  of  Atal  Bhujal  Yojana  in  Uttar  Pradesh,  district-wise  including Sitapur along with the details of the districts benefitted;

(d) the districts of western Uttar Pradesh linked to the scheme along with the status of the work;

(e) whether the Government has achieved success in arresting the rate of decline in ground water level in Uttar Pradesh; and

(f) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a) Atal  Bhujal  Yojana  targets  community  led  sustainable  ground  water  management  through efficient irrigation practices and appropriate selection of crops.

In order to bring the change in the agricultural practices in selected area under this scheme, the communities  have  been  mobilised  through  existing  Village  and  Water  Sanitation  Committees  and made aware regarding water use and availability in the area and subsequently water budgets have been prepared. These water budgets form the basis of Water Security Plans (WSPs), which are the fulcrum of this scheme. WSPs contain various demand side interventions such as such as micro-irrigation, crop diversification,  use  of  pipelines  as  well  supply  side  interventions  such  as  check  dams,  farm  ponds, recharge shafts and other artificial recharge / water conservation structures, which are proposed by the community itself based upon the awareness creation and capacity building exercise which have been undertaken in this scheme. Further, focused Information, Education & Communication (IEC) with an aim to bring behavioral change in the community in terms of managing demand of water are also being organized in all the Gram Panchayat. The scheme also provides incentives after achieving certain predefined targets, which can be, inter-alia, used in any innovative practices in agriculture which saves water or increases water use efficiency.

(b) Rs. 700 Cr. has been sanctioned for the Budget of 2022-23 under this Scheme.

(c) & (d) The scheme is being implemented in 550 Gram panchayats of 26 Blocks of 10 Districts of Uttar  Pradesh  including  four  Districts  of  Western  Uttar  Pradesh  namely  Muzzafarnagar,  Shamli, Baghpat and Meerut. It is not implemented in Sitapur. A total of 200 Community led Water Security Plans (WSPs), have been prepared in these four Districts.  Implementation of the WSPs are being done in  the  field  with  active  involvement  of  communities through  convergence of various Central / State Government Schemes by concerned line departments.

(e) & (f) In terms of achieving its objective, the Scheme has brought in change in the behaviour of the communities through various awareness generation activities. The Scheme is yet to reach to that stage where  an  arrest  in  the  rate  of  ground  water  level  decline  can  be  measured.  However,  as  per  recent Ground  Water  Source  Assessment  2022  as  published  by  Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB), through the efforts of Government of India, including this scheme, there have been improvement in some of the Blocks of Uttar Pradesh such as Meerut, Muzzafarnagar etc.

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