Lok Sabha Question No. 2416 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-03
Subject: Funds for Ground Water Management
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2416

ANSWERED ON 03.08.2023

## FUNDS FOR GROUND WATER MANAGEMENT

## 2416. COL. RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) the funds sanctioned for water harvesting, ground water recharge and catchment conservation under Ground Water Management and Regulation Scheme during the last four years;

(b)  the  measures  taken  to  address  nationwide  waterlogging,  including  processes,  technologies  used  and consultative procedures followed;

(c) the protocols and pre-requisites for appointing members to Gram Panchayat Ground Water Committee or Ward Ground Water Committee;

(d) the regulatory measures taken for activities in waterlogged areas, their legal enforceability and penalties for non-adherence; and

(e) the provisions for emergencies due to severe waterlogging and readiness of response teams for such crisis?

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

(a) Major activities being taken up under the Ground Water Management & Regulation(GWM&R) scheme being implemented by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) include aquifer mapping for the entire country (NAQUIM) and other activities of CGWB such as ground water level & periodic assessment of dynamic ground water resources in collaboration with States/UTs, regulation and control of ground water withdrawal in certain States/UTs, taking up few demonstrative recharge projects in  selected water stressed areas,  strengthening  of  scientific  infrastructure  for technological upgradation etc.

The scheme has a small component for artificial recharge which is demonstrative in nature. During the last 04 years, CGWB has taken up three demonstrative artificial recharge projects under the scheme, details of the funds sanctioned are given at Annexure .

(b) Water  being a State subject the measures to address  water logging  falls under their mandate. Further, water logging in an area can be attributed to various reasons such as presence of impermeable strata below sub-surface layer of soil, poor drainage system of the catchment basin, prevailing flood conditions in the catchment basin, heavy rainfall  etc.  Water  logging  can  be  addressed  through  creation  of  recharge  structures  including  bypassing  the impervious  soil  layers,  creation  and  maintenance  of  appropriate  drainage  system,  conjunctive  use  of  surface  and groundwater  with  more  stress  on  extraction  of  groundwater  in  Safe  areas  etc.  In  farm  lands  creation  of  effective piped  drainage  system  along-with  ponds,  use  of  optimum  quantity  of  water  as  per  crops  need  etc  may  help  in avoiding the water logging in the fields.

Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) was launched on June 25, 2015, in 500 selected  cities  across  the  country  covering  around  60%  of  the  Urban  Population  and  is  being  implemented  in collaboration with States/UTs. AMRUT focuses on development of basic urban infrastructure in the selected cities in the  sectors  of  Water  Supply,  Sewerage  and  Septage  Management,  Storm  Water  Drainage,  Non-Motorised  Urban Transport, and Permeable Green Spaces & Parks.

Under  AMRUT, Storm  Water  Drainage  is  one  of  the  thrust  areas  &  ₹2,969  crore  (4%)  have  been  allocated against  the  overall  approved  plan  size  of  ₹77,640  crore.  States/ULBs  have  been  entrusted  to  design,  approve  & implement projects for storm water drainage management. So far, 812 drainage projects worth ₹2,998 crore (from 104 AMRUT Cities) have been grounded of which 719 projects worth ₹1,622 crore have been completed. Further, 1,073 Km of drains have been constructed and 3,319 water-logging points have been eliminated.

Under AMRUT 2.0, harvesting the rainwater through storm water drains into water body (which is not receiving sewage/effluent)  &  creation/  strengthening  of  storm  water  drains  around  water  body  is  one  of  the  project components.

CGWB has taken up a study in  collaboration  with  Ministry  of  Housing  &  Urban  Affairs  in  three  cities  viz. Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Guwahati to study/determine the impact of changing land use patterns on ground water recharge and water balance in urban areas.

Techniques  used  for  artificial  recharge  to  ground  water  are  mainly  recharge  basins,  bench  terracing,  contour bunds,  contour  trenches,  gully  plugs,  check  dams,  percolation  ponds,  injection  wells,  recharge  pits  and  recharge shafts.

Government of India is implementing Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) in the country in collaboration with States/UTs in which special emphasis is being given for rainwater harvesting/groundwater recharge.

(c) Village Water & Sanitation Committees have been constituted by State Governments for implementation and execution of water supply works and Operation & Maintenance of the same. Further, the same committee have been entrusted with the responsibility of undertaking projects related to roof-top rain water harvesting and ground water recharge  in  villages  for  ensuring  sustainability  of  ground  water  resources.  Each committee  has  6  to  12  Members selected from elected representatives from Gram Panchayat and nominated by Block/district Administration.

(d) & (e) Water (including disaster management & flooding) being State subject, formulation and promulgation of suitable  legislations/Acts  (as  per  needs)  for  taking  corrective  action  against  water  logging  and  initiation  of enforcement  measures/penalty/legal  action  (if  any)  etc  falls  under  States'  mandate.  Further,  certain  States  have included provisions related to avoidance of water logging in their relevant Water Resources Acts viz. 'The Uttar Pradesh  Ground Water  (Management  and Regulation) Act  2019',  'The  Haryana  Water  Resources  (Conservation, Regulation and Management ) Authority Bill 2020' etc. In addition, Central Government assist the States/UTs to address the problems associated with water logging/flooding including dissemination of advance flood warning etc.

In  addition, National Disaster Response Force(NDRF) has pan India presence and is deployed in emergent cases on requisition by State/District authorities. Further, during Monsoon periods teams are also pre-positioned at vulnerable locations based on history of incidents. Besides, States also deploy State Disaster Response Force(SDRF) as first responders in areas where NDRF is not readily available/taking time in reaching locations during emergent situations/calamities.

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2416  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  03.08.2023  REGARDING  'FUNDS  FOR GROUND WATER MANAGEMENT'

## The details of the fund sanctioned by CGWB during last four years under GWM&R Scheme for the construction of demonstrative rain water harvesting structures

|   S.No. | Project                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | Year                | Type of Structures                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   Fund allocated (in Crores) |
|---------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|
|       1 | Aquifer recharge in Aspirational Districts: 1. Osamanabad block, Osamanabad district, Maharashtra state 2. Pulivendula block, YSR Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh and 3. Bachennapet block, Warangal district, Telangana state. | 2018-20 (completed) | 1. Check Dam- 55, Piezometers-20 Rain Water Harvesting structures-46. 2. Check Dams-16, Percolation Tank-4, Sub-Surface Barriers-01, Recharge Shaft-36, Piezometers-12. 3. Check Dams-6, Sub-Surface Barrier-01, Recharge Shafts-31, Piezometers-9 |                        54.38 |
|       2 | Bridge Cum Bandhara (BCB) in Maharashtra                                                                                                                                                                                        | 2018-20 (Completed) | 05                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |                        30.29 |
|       3 | Artificial Recharge in select water stressed Districts of Rajasthan                                                                                                                                                             | In progress         | 1. Indroka Zoned Earth fill Dam with Clay Core-1 2. Bastawa Mata Concrete Gravity Dam-1 3. Water Harvesting Structures-154                                                                                                                         |                       164.81 |

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