Lok Sabha Question No. 2445 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-03
Subject: NAQUIM
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Deepak Baij

## †2445. SHRI DEEPAK BAIJ

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  is  paying  special  attention  on  the  quality  of  groundwater  and  its contamination  by  toxic  substances  like  arsenic  under  National  Project  on  Aquifer  Management (NAQUIM) of Central Ground Water Board (CGWB); (b) if so, the details of projects initiated under the above scheme, project and State-wise; and (c) the details of funds allocated, released and utilized during the last three years and the current year especially in Chhattisgarh?

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2445

## ANSWERED ON 03.08.2023

## NAQUIM

## ANSWER

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

(a) Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB)  has  taken  up  Aquifer  Mapping  and  Management Programme (NAQUIM) under Ground Water Management & Regulation (GWM&R) scheme, which is  aimed  to  delineate  aquifers  (water  bearing  formations)  disposition  and  their  characterization  for preparation of aquifer/ area specific ground water management plans with community participation. Further,  under  NAQUIM,  ground  water  quality  i.e.  status  of  contamination  of  aquifers  by  toxic substances such as Arsenic, Nitrate, Fluoride, Iron etc are also studied.

In  addition,  CGWB  generates  ground water  quality  data  of  the entire country  periodically  on  a regional  scale  through  a  set  of  monitoring  wells  as  part  of  its  ground  water  quality  monitoring program.

(b) Major  activities  being  taken  up  under  the  GWM&R scheme  include  aquifer mapping for the entire  country  (NAQUIM)  and  other  activities  of  CGWB  such  as  ground  water  level  &  quality monitoring including Arsenic contamination on regular basis, 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 major activity of NAQUIM is mapping of underground aquifer system of the entire country and to suggest management interventions for its sustainable use. Out of nearly 33 Lakh Sq. Km. of geographical area of the country, the mappable area of around 25 Lakh Sq. Km. was identified by the CGWB (under NAQUIM),  which  has  already  been  completed  before  31st  March  2023. State-wise details of NAQUIM covered in the country is given at Annexure.

The information generated (including groundwater quality data) under NAQUIM are shared with States/UTs for suitable interventions under various Central/State schemes. Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) under Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation is a Centrally Sponsored scheme which is being implemented in collaboration with States/UTs to make provision of potable tap water supply to every rural household of the country by 2024 including quality affected habitations.

In addition, CGWB has identified Arsenic safe deeper aquifer zones and Arsenic safe wells have been constructed using innovative cement sealing technique in parts of West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh under the NAQUIM program. So far, 522 exploratory wells (40 in Bihar, 188 in West Bengal and 294 in Uttar Pradesh) tapping Arsenic safe aquifers have been constructed (till March 2022) under NAQUIM and handed over to concerned States for use. In  addition, the innovative cement sealing technique has been shared with the States for their use.

- (c) Funds  have  been  allocated   across  the  country  by  the  CGWB  under  the  GWM&R  Scheme  to undertake various activities as mentioned in part(b) above including NAQUIM. Total allocation and expenditure under the GWM&R scheme for the financial years 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 and the current year in Chhattisgarh are given below.

| Year    | Allocation and Expenditure under the GWM&Rscheme in Chhattisgarh (Rs in Crore)   | Allocation and Expenditure under the GWM&Rscheme in Chhattisgarh (Rs in Crore)   |
|---------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         | Allocation                                                                       | Expenditure                                                                      |
| 2020-21 | 3.16                                                                             | 3.14                                                                             |
| 2021-22 | 4.23                                                                             | 4.19                                                                             |
| 2022-23 | 8.98                                                                             | 4.68                                                                             |
| 2023-24 | 8.85                                                                             | 0.65 (as on 30 th June)                                                          |

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (b)  OF  UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO.  2445  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  03.08.2023 REGARDING 'NAQUIM'.

| Sl. No.   | State/UT             | Total Area   | Area targeted for coverage   | Coverage till March 2023   |
|-----------|----------------------|--------------|------------------------------|----------------------------|
| 1         | Andaman &Nicobar UT  | 8,249        | 1,774                        | 1,774                      |
| 2         | Andhra Pradesh       | 1,63,900     | 1,41,784                     | 1,41,784                   |
| 3         | Arunachal Pradesh    | 83,743       | 4,703                        | 4,703                      |
| 4         | Assam                | 78,438       | 61,826                       | 61,826                     |
| 5         | Bihar                | 94,163       | 90,567                       | 90,567                     |
| 6         | Chandigarh UT        | 115          | 115                          | 115                        |
| 7         | Chhattisgarh         | 1,36,034     | 96,000                       | 96,000                     |
| 8         | Dadra &Nagar Haveli, | 602          | 602                          | 602                        |
| 9         | Daman &Diu UT        | 1,483        | 1,483                        | 1,483                      |
| 10        | Goa                  | 3,702        | 3,702                        | 3,702                      |
| 11        | Gujarat              | 1,96,024     | 1,60,978                     | 1,60,978                   |
| 12        | Haryana              | 44,212       | 44,179                       | 44,179                     |
| 13        | Himachal Pradesh     | 55,673       | 8,020                        | 8,020                      |
| 14        | Jammu &Kashmir UT    | 1,67,396     | 9,506                        | 9,506                      |
| 15        | Jharkhand            | 79,714       | 76,705                       | 76,705                     |
| 16        | Karnataka            | 1,91,808     | 1,91,719                     | 1,91,719                   |
| 17        | Kerala               | 38,863       | 28,088                       | 28,088                     |
| 18        | Lakshadweep UT       | 32           | 32                           | 32                         |
| 19        | Ladakh UT            | 54,840       | 963                          | 963                        |
| 20        | Madhya Pradesh       | 3,08,000     | 2,69,349                     | 2,69,349                   |
| 21        | Maharashtra          | 3,07,713     | 2,59,914                     | 2,59,914                   |
| 22        | Manipur              | 22,327       | 2,559                        | 2,559                      |
| 23        | Meghalaya            | 22,429       | 10,645                       | 10,645                     |
| 24        | Mizoram              | 21,081       | 700                          | 700                        |
| 25        | Nagaland             | 16,579       | 910                          | 910                        |
| 26        | Odisha               | 1,55,707     | 1,19,636                     | 1,19,636                   |
| 27        | Puducherry UT        | 479          | 454                          | 454                        |
| 28        | Punjab               | 50,368       | 50,368                       | 50,368                     |
| 29        | Rajasthan            | 3,42,239     | 3,34,152                     | 3,34,152                   |
| 30        | Sikkim               | 7,096        | 1,496                        | 1,496                      |
| 31        | Tamil Nadu           | 1,30,058     | 1,05,829                     | 1,05,829                   |
| 32        | Telangana            | 1,11,940     | 1,04,824                     | 1,04,824                   |
| 33        | Tripura              | 10,492       | 6,757                        | 6,757                      |
| 34        | Uttar Pradesh        | 2,46,387     | 2,40,649                     | 2,40,649                   |
| 35        | Uttarakhand          | 53,484       | 11,430                       | 11,430                     |
| 36        | West Bengal          | 88,752       | 71,947                       | 71,947                     |
|           | Total                | 3294105      | 2514437                      | 2514437                    |