Lok Sabha Question No. 74 (STARRED), answered on 2025-07-24
Subject: Water Crisis in Bundelkhand Region
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Narayandas Ahirwar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *74

ANSWERED ON 24.07.2025

## WATER CRISIS IN BUNDELKHAND REGION

†*74. SHRI NARAYANDAS AHIRWAR

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the ever-increasing water crisis in the Bundelkhand region and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of the schemes implemented during the last five years to address this crisis;
- (c) whether the Government has implemented schemes related to rainwater harvesting, river rejuvenation, revival  of  traditional  water  bodies  or  catchment  area  development  in  the  region  and  if  so,  the  details thereof; and
- (d) the concrete action plan of the Government to ensure water abundance in the said region in future?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF JAL SHAKTI

(SHRI C R PAATIL)

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

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. *74  TO  BE  ANSWERED ON 24.07.2025 IN  LOK SABHA REGARDING 'WATER CRISIS IN BUNDELKHAND REGION'

(a) The  average  annual  water  availability  of  any  region  or  country  is  largely  dependent  upon  hydrometeorological  and  geological  factors.  Due  to  high  temporal  and  spatial  variation  of  precipitation  in  a region, the water availability may result in water stress conditions.

The  Dynamic  Ground  Water  Resources  of  the  country  are  being  assessed  every  year  since  2022 jointly by the  Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB)  and  State/Nodal/Groundwater  Department periodically. As per report of Ground Water Resource Assessment 2024, all the fourteen (14) districts of Bundelkhand region have been assessed. Out of fourteen (14), ten (10) districts have been assessed to be Safe,  three  (03)  districts  to  be  Critical  and  one  (01)  district  to  Semi-Critical.  The  summary  of  Ground water Resources Assessment (GWRA-2024) for the districts of Bundelkhand region have been presented in Annexure-I.

(b) to (d) 'Water' being a state subject, steps for augmentation, conservation and efficient management of water resources are primarily undertaken by the respective State Governments. In order to supplement the efforts of the State Governments, Central Government provides technical and financial assistance to them through various schemes and programmes.

The Government of India has taken various initiatives/steps for water conservation, sustainable groundwater  management,  improving  the  groundwater  level  and  addressing  the  water  shortages  in Bundelkhand Region:

-  Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) - ILR is a project for transfer of water from surplus basin to water deficit basin. Ken Betwa Link Project (KBLP) is the first ILR project under the National Perspective  Plan  that has  been  taken  up  for  implementation.  This  project  will  significantly address the water crisis of Bundelkhand region.
-  Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) was launched during the year 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. Under PMKSY-AIBP, there are 4 projects (one in Uttar Pradesh and three in Madhya Pradesh) which are benefiting the Bundelkhand Region of India.
-  Government of India is implementing Atal Bhujal Yojana in various districts of Bundelkhand region with an aim to arrest decline in ground water level through a participatory approach led by community for sustainable groundwater management.

-  Government of India launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) , in a mission mode approach intended to improve water availability including ground water conditions in the all water stressed blocks of India including Bundelkhand region. To build on this momentum, the National Water Mission introduced the Catch the Rain (CTR) campaign in 2020, which was subsequently integrated into Jal  Shakti  Abhiyan:  Catch  the  Rain  (JSA:  CTR)  in  2021.  Now  an  annual  initiative,  the  sixth edition  of  JSA:  CTR  was  launched  on  22 nd March  2025  with  the  theme  'Jal  Sanchay,  Jan Bhagidari: Jan Jagrukta Ki Or.'
-  Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB)  has  completed  the National  Aquifer  Mapping (NAQUIM) Project in all the  districts  of  Bundelkhand  region.  The  Aquifer  maps  and management plans have been prepared and shared with the respective State agencies. The block wise management  plans include various water conservation measures through recharge structures.
-  Under Jal  Jeevan  Mission ,  Government  of  India  assists  States  by  providing  financial  and technical assistance to provide functional household tap connection to all rural households.
-  CGWB has  prepared  a Master  Plan  for  Artificial  Recharge  to  Groundwater  -  2020 in consultation with States / UTs which is a macro level plan indicating various structures for the different terrain conditions of the country including Bundelkhand region.

***

## ANNEXURE-I

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION NO. *74 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.07.2025 REGARDING 'WATER CRISIS IN BUNDELKHAND REGION'

Groundwater Resource Assessment for the districts of Bundelkhand region as per CGWB 2024

|   S. No. | State          | District    |   Total Annual Ground Water Recharge |   Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource |   Annual Groundw ater Extractio n |   Annual GW Allocation for DomesticUs e as on 2025 | Net Ground Water Availab ility for future use   |   Stage of Ground Water Extraction (%) | Category   |
|----------|----------------|-------------|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|------------|
|        1 | Madhya Pradesh | Chhatarpu r |                              88202.9 |                                    83792.7 |                           53773.1 |                                            3324.12 | 29851.6                                         |                                  64.17 | Safe       |
|        2 | Madhya Pradesh | Damoh       |                              39610.1 |                                    37629.5 |                           21983.3 |                                            2735.18 | 15276.5                                         |                                  58.42 | Safe       |
|        3 | Madhya Pradesh | Datia       |                              49572.4 |                                    47093.8 |                           17065.5 |                                            1894.54 | 29929.7 4                                       |                                  36.24 | Safe       |
|        4 | Madhya Pradesh | Niwari      |                              20177.3 |                                    19168.5 |                           12888.1 |                                            1339.31 | 6102.63                                         |                                  67.24 | Safe       |
|        5 | Madhya Pradesh | Panna       |                              54691.4 |                                    51956.8 |                           18936.8 |                                            2635.57 | 32900.1 3                                       |                                  36.45 | Safe       |
|        6 | Madhya Pradesh | Sagar       |                             109286   |                                   103451   |                           61105.4 |                                            4089.76 | 42117.7 3                                       |                                  59.07 | Safe       |
|        7 | Madhya Pradesh | Tikamgar h  |                              40862.5 |                                    38819.4 |                           30396.8 |                                            3746.52 | 7839.53                                         |                                  78.3  | SC         |
|        8 | Uttar Pradesh  | Banda       |                              73301.1 |                                    66450.2 |                           43989.3 |                                            4256.96 | 22233.2 2                                       |                                  66.2  | Safe       |
|        9 | Uttar Pradesh  | Chitrakoot  |                              43872.7 |                                    40047.2 |                           33169.5 |                                            2834.09 | 6675.13                                         |                                  82.83 | SC         |
|       10 | Uttar Pradesh  | Hamirpur    |                              45654.6 |                                    41346.3 |                           27837.4 |                                            2268.15 | 13454.1 4                                       |                                  67.33 | Safe       |
|       11 | Uttar Pradesh  | Jalaun      |                             103737   |                                    93767.6 |                           52259.6 |                                            4509.25 | 41365.9 4                                       |                                  55.73 | Safe       |
|       12 | Uttar Pradesh  | Jhansi      |                              74157.9 |                                    67359   |                           44072.2 |                                            3439.34 | 23090.0 4                                       |                                  65.43 | Safe       |
|       13 | Uttar Pradesh  | Lalitpur    |                              39658.8 |                                    36339.3 |                           30579.5 |                                            3775.9  | 5506.42                                         |                                  84.15 | SC         |
|       14 | Uttar Pradesh  | Mahoba      |                              30635.8 |                                    27843.3 |                           25578.9 |                                            1212.54 | 3218.42                                         |                                  91.87 | Critical   |

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