Lok Sabha Question No. 983 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-08
Subject: Decrease in Ground Water Level
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. 983

## ANSWERED ON 08.02.2024

## DECREASE IN GROUND WATER LEVEL

## 983. SHRI SUKHBIR SINGH BADAL

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether according to Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), Punjab' s ground water has decreased from 21.58 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM) in 2017 to 17.07 BCM in 2022 and most of it warns that Punjab ground water would drop by 300 mtrs by 2039 and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government proposes to consider this an alarming situation and if so, the steps taken by the Government to arrest the situation on ground;

(c)  whether  the  Government has  assessed the impact of this critical  State  of  affairs  which  could  make  the entire State parched; and

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

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU )

(a) The  Dynamic  Ground  Water  Resources  of  the  country  are  being  regularly  assessed  jointly  by  Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and State Governments, including Punjab. As per the Ground Water Resource Assessment (GWRA) reports of the concerned period, the total annual extractable groundwater resource for the State of Punjab was 21.58 billion cubic meters (bcm) in the year 2017 and in the year 2022 it stood at 17.07 bcm. This may be due to less rainfall, lining of unlined canals, reduced recharge from ponds & tanks etc. However, during the same period, the annual ground water extraction for all uses has also decreased from 35.78bcm  to  27.8  bcm.  Owing  to  the  cumulative  efforts  of  various  government  departments  and  other agencies, the Stage of Ground Water Extraction (SOE), which is the ratio of Annual Ground Water Extraction for  all  uses  (irrigation,  industrial  and  domestic  uses)  over  Annual  Extractable  Ground  Water  Resource  has shown slight decline (improvement) from 165.77% to 163.76%.

(b) Water being a State subject, the aspects related to water resources including ground water development and  management  are  planned,  funded  and  executed  by  the  State  Governments.  The  Central  Government complements  the  efforts  of  the  States  by  providing  technical  support  and  financial  assistance  through  its various  centrally  sponsored  schemes.  Some  of  the  important  steps  taken  by  the  Ministry  to  check  ground water depletion in the State of Punjab are given below:-

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 conditions in the water stressed blocks of 256 districts in India (including 20 districts in Punjab). JSA is continuing in 2023-24 also.

Hon'ble  Prime  Minister  has  launched  AmritSarovar  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.

CGWB has taken up National Aquifer Mapping & Management Programme (NAQUIM) to delineate and  characterise  the  aquifer  system  in  the  country  including  Punjab.  NAQUIM  have  been  carried  out  in Punjab  for  a  mappable  area  of  50369  Sq  km.  and  reports  have  been  shared  with  the  State  for  suitable implementation. Further, under NAQUIM 2.0 studies are being carried out in the water stressed areas priority of Ludhiana and Sangrur districts.

Master  Plan  for  Artificial  Recharge  to  Groundwater-  2020  has  been  prepared  by  the  CGWB  with States/UTs  providing  a  broad  outline  of  the  project  and  expected  investments.  The  Master  Plan  envisages construction  of  about  1.42  crore  Rain  water  harvesting  and  artificial  recharge  structures  in  the  Country  to harness 185 Billion Cubic Metre (BCM) of water. In Punjab, Master plan envisages about 11 Lakh Rain water harvesting and artificial recharge structures to harness about 1200 Million Cubic Meter (MCM) of rain-water.

Ministry has circulated a Model Bill to all the States/UTs to enable them to enact suitable ground water legislation for regulation of its development. So far, 21 States/UTs have adopted and implemented the ground water legislation including Punjab.

Several  Trainings  and  Public  Interaction  Programmes  are  being  organized  at  grassroots  level  to spread awareness among the masses to reduce the dependence on groundwater and restore the water table

In  addition  to  these,  the  other  important  steps  taken  by  the  Central  Government  for  sustainable ground water management in the country including in the state of Punjab can be seen at https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s3a70dc40477bc2adceef4d2c90f47eb82/uploads/2023/02/2023021742.pdf

Also, the other important steps taken by the Government of Punjab for sustainable management of the groundwater in the State of Punjab is given at Annexure to this reply.

(c) & (d) The  Ministry  regularly keeps  a tab  on ground water situation of the entire country through its different organizations. CGWB carries out ground water level monitoring for the entire country four times a year  through  its  network  of  approximately  26,000  monitoring  wells.  Further,  Dynamic  Ground  Water Resource  Assessment  for  the  whole  country  is  conducted  by  CGWB  in  association  with  concerned  state governments  on  an  annual  basis  since  2022.  In  addition  to  this,  ground  water  quality  is  also  monitored annually.  Reports  of  all  these  exercises  are  regularly  shared  with  respective  state  governments,  including Punjab and suitable remedial measures are also suggested from time to time.

## ANNEXURE ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 983 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 08.02.2024 REGARDING 'DECREASE IN GROUND WATER LEVEL'.

## Initiatives taken by Government of Punjab for sustainable management of Groundwater

The important steps taken by the Government of Punjab for sustainable management of ground water in the State of Punjab are-

1. The  Punjab  Water  Resources  Regulation  and  Development  Authority  (PWRDA)  have  been established under section 3 of Punjab Water Resources (Management and Regulation) Act, 2020 Act. The Authority will ensure conservation, management and regulation of water in the State in accordance with the Integrated State Water Plan (ISWP).
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  as  notified  by State  Government,  i.e.  before  15th  June.  The  contravention  of  the  provisions  of  the  Ordinance invites penalty, in addition to the expenses incurred for destroying the nursery of paddy sown or transplanted before the specified or notified dates.
5. Diversification  from  Paddy to  Maize under National Adaptation for climate change  for 2019-20. Area under cotton has also been taken during 2019-20.
6. Encouragement  of  Resource  Conservation  Technology  (RCT)  like  Laser  Land  Levelling,  Zero Tilling,  etc.  is  being  done  in  farming  communities.  The  state  government  provides  subsidy  to farmers for custom hiring of this machinery.
7. Medium/Short Duration Rice Cultivars are being promoted over long duration ones, to save water. Information  regarding  the  same  is  being  disseminated  at  district,  block  and  village  level  camps. Further, these varieties are being popularized through demonstration plots.
8. Roof Top Rain Water Harvesting has been made mandatory in all buildings above 200 sq. yds. by amending the buildings by-laws vide Chief Town Planner, Local Govt. Department, Punjab vide Notification  No.10/19/05-2LG/803  III dated 28.12.2005. Punjab Urban Planning & Development Authority (PUDA) is also amending building bye-laws applicable outside the municipal limits, to make Roof Top Rain Water Harvesting mandatory in buildings  constructed  in  area  where  water table is falling.
9. Government  of  Punjab  has  constructed  low  dams  to  provide  irrigation  facilities  under  Bharat Nirman Program. These dams facilitate in augmenting the Ground Water Resources of the State & in arresting the declining ground water table.

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