Lok Sabha Question No. 230 (STARRED), answered on 2023-03-16
Subject: Rainwater Harvesting
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Rajendra Dhedya  Gavit

## DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI, REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. *230

ANSWERED ON 16.03.2023

## RAINWATER HARVESTING

## *230 SHRI RAJENDRA DHEDYA GAVIT

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any proposal to launch any major drive for rainwater harvesting in co-operation with the State Governments across the country for irrigation of agricultural fields during non-monsoon months and recharging the depleting ground water table; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

(SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU)

(a) to (b) : A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  AND  (b)  OF  LOK   SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *230  FOR  REPLY  ON  16.03.2023  REGARDING  RAINWATER HARVESTING

(a) & (b) The Central Government supplements the efforts of the States through technical and financial support.  Water  conservation  through  rainwater  harvesting  is  one  of  the  foremost  priorities  of  the Government  being  implemented  across  the  country  in  close  coordination  with  States.  Effective rainwater harvesting  is instrumental in irrigation of the agricultural fields during non-monsoon months and in recharging the depleting ground water table.

In  order  to  effectively  implement  the  rainwater  harvesting  across  the  country,  the  Government undertakes various activities in the form of special drives, schemes and programmes. Some of the major steps taken by the Government of India in this regard are as follows:

- i. The Ministry of Jal Shakti has been implementing Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) since 2019 on an annual basis. JSA could not be implemented in 2020 due to Covid pandemic. In the current year, Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain 2023, 4th in the series of JSA is being implemented from 04.03.2023  to  30.11.2023.  Rainwater  harvesting  in  one  of  the  major  components  of  the campaign. States/UTs have been advised to actively participate in JSA:CTR 2023 and have also been suggested to undertake rain harvesting activities under JSA:CTR.
- ii. Government has been implementing Pradhan Mantry Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) since 2015-16 with an aim to enhance physical access of water on farm and expand cultivable area under  assured  irrigation,  improve  on  farm  water  use  efficiency,  introduce  sustainable  water conservation  practices  etc.  The  scheme   of  Surface  Minor  Irrigation  (SMI)  and  Repair, Renovation & Restoration  (RRR) of Water Bodies has now become a part of PMKSY (Har Khet Ko Pani). The SMI & RRR of Water Bodies Schemes have multiple objectives like expanding cultivable area under assured irrigation by improvement and restoration of water bodies inter alia increasing ground water recharge and revival of lost irrigation potential.
- iii. Watershed  Development  Component  of  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana  (WDCPMKSY)  has  got  rainwater  harvesting  as  one  of  the  activities  under  its  Natural  Resource Management (NRM) component.
- iv. Atal  Bhujal  Yojana  (ATAL  JAL)  has  been  launched  with  the  objective   to  improve  the management of ground water resources including rainwater harvesting in water stressed areas through  community participation  in  identified  priority  areas  in  7  states  viz.  Gujarat,  Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
- v. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) includes water conservation and water  harvesting structures as one of the activities under its natural resource management (NRM) component.
- vi. Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has formulated guidelines for the States to adopt measures suitable to local conditions, such as Unified Building Bye Laws (UBBL) of Delhi, 2016, Model Building Bye Laws (MBBL), 2016 and Urban and Regional Development Plan Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines, 2014 with adequate focus on requirement of rainwater harvesting and water conservation measures.
- vii. 15th Finance Commission grants have been released to States to be utilized through Rural Local Bodies. Financial assistance given to various States under 15th Finance Commission tied grants can be inter alia utilised for rainwater harvesting and water recycling.
- viii. Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) while granting No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for ground  water  abstraction  envisages  that  the  proponents  shall  install  roof  top  rain  water harvesting & recharge systems in the project area.
- ix. Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare (DA&FW) is implementing Centrally Sponsored Scheme  of ' Per  Drop  More  Crop'  (PDMC)'  in  the  country  from  2015-16.  PDMC  focuses  on enhancing water use efficiency at farm level through micro irrigation.

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