Lok Sabha Question No. 3520 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-10
Subject: Guidelines for Restoration of Water Bodies
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Ramya  Haridas, Uday Pratap Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3520

ANSWERED ON 10.08.2023

## GUIDELINES FOR RESTORATION OF WATER BODIES

## 3520. MS. RAMYA HARIDAS SHRI UDAY PRATAP SINGH

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has prepared any guidelines at the national level for the conservation and restoration of water bodies/water sources and if so, the details thereof;

(b)  whether  the  Government has traced  all  types  of  water  bodies/sources  that  are  disappearing  in  the country during the last five years and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise; and

(c) the details of the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government for their conservation and restoration during the said period?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU )

(a) Central  Pollution  Control  Board  (CPCB)  under  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate Change,  has  in  2019,  published  'Indicative  Guidelines   for  Restoration  of  Water  Bodies'.  These indicative guidelines  are limited to restoration of ponds, lakes, polluted rivers or streams  and divided into two parts i.e., stagnated surface water bodies such as ponds, lakes and rolling surface water bodies such as rivers or streams.  The key issues addressed by these indicative guidelines include the following:

- i. to make pollution free water bodies and to meet the desired water quality criteria;
- ii. to preserve excess water during monsoon,
- iii. to restore and augment storage capacities of water bodies
- iv. to serve and enhance ground water recharge;
- v. increase availability of water for different intended purposes etc.,

Apart  from  the  above,  scheme  specific  guidelines  for  restoration  of  water  bodies  are  also  being issued by various Government agencies concerned. This Ministry has issued guidelines for such works to  be  undertaken  under  Repair,  Renovation  and  Restoration  of  Water  Bodies  component  of  Pradhan Mantri  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana  -  Har  Khet  Ko  Pani.  Similarly,  Ministry  of  Rural  Development  has issued guidelines for such works under Mission Amrit Sarovar, while the then Ministry of Housing and Urban Development had, in the year 2013, issued an advisory on conservation and restoration of water bodies in urban areas.

(b) & (c) Water  being  a  State  subject,  tracing  the  water  bodies  /  sources  that  are  disappearing, maintaining details in this  regard,  as  well  as  conservation  and  restoration  of  water  bodies,  lies  in  the domain of the State Government concerned. However, some of the measures taken by Government of India for supplementing the efforts of the State Government, are given below.

1. Under Repair, Renovation and Restoration of water bodies components of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana- Har Khet Ko Pani, partial financial assistance is provided by Government of India for renovation of identified projects/ clusters of water bodies.
2. Focused interventions under Jal Shakti Abhiyan annual campaigns taken up by the Government of India and the State Governments, inter-alia, include renovation of traditional and other water bodies/ tanks, enumeration, geo-tagging and making inventory of all water bodies, and removal of encroachments of tanks/ lakes, and de-silting of tanks.
3. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has provisions for  public  works  relating  to  natural  resource  management,  water  conservation  and  water harvesting  structures  to  augment  and  improve  ground  water  like  underground  dykes,  earthen dams, stop dams, check dams and roof top rain water harvesting structures in public buildings.
4. Launched in April 2022, Mission Amrit Sarovar is aimed at developing and rejuvenating at least 75 water bodies of minimum pondage area of 1 acre each, in each district of the country as a part of celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
5. Ministry of Jal Shakti has conducted first Census of Water Bodies in convergence with the Sixth Minor Irrigation Census (Reference Year 2017-18) with the objective of developing a national data  base  of  all  water  bodies  in  the  country.  The  Water  Bodies  Census  inter-alia  contains information  on  all  important  aspects  on  the  subject  including  their  size,  condition,  status  of encroachment, use storage capacity, status of filling up storage etc.
6. Rejuvenation of water bodies is also a component under Water Supply sector of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) Scheme under Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs. Further, AMRUT 2.0 launched in October, 2021, targets to promote circular economy of water through development of city water balance plan for each city focusing on recycle/reuse of treated sewage, rejuvenation of water bodies and water conservation.

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