Lok Sabha Question No. 2391 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-03
Subject: Drying up of Water Bodies
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Vellalath Kochukrishnan Nair. Sreekandan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2391

ANSWERED ON 03.08.2023

## DRYING UP OF WATER BODIES

## 2391. SHRI V.K. SREEKANDAN

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether it is a fact that due to climate change, many of the waterbodies in the country have dried up and if so, the details thereof;

(b)  whether  it  is  also  a  fact  that  the  ground  water  level  is  also  depleting  abnormally  as  revealed recently;

(c) whether it is also a fact that the Government proposes to rejuvenate the dried-up water bodies in the country by deputing expert teams; and

(d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU )

(a) Ministry of Jal Shakti has conducted the first Census of Water Bodies in convergence with the Sixth  Minor  Irrigation  Census  (reference  year  2017-18)  with  the  objective  of  developing  a  national database of all water bodies in the country. The census, conducted by the State Governments through nodal department identified in  each State/UT for this  purpose,  has revealed  that there are 24.24,540 number of water bodies in the country. Out of these, 20,30,040 number of water bodies are 'in use', while remaining  3,94,500 water bodies are not 'in use'. Out of total number of 'not in use' reported water bodies, 93,009 water bodies are reported to be not in use on account of being dried up.

(b) No, Sir. Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) under this Ministry, is periodically monitoring the ground water levels throughout the country on a regional scale, through a network of monitoring wells. In order to assess the long term fluctuation in ground water level, the water level data collected by  CGWB during November 2022  has  been  compared  with  the  decadal  mean  of  November  (20122021),  which  indicates  that  about  61%  of  the  wells  monitored  have  registered  rise  in  ground  water level, whereas about 39% wells have registered decrease in water level.

(c) & (d) Water  being  a  State  subject,  it  is  for  the  State  Government  concerned  to  take  up rejuvenation  of  water  bodies,  including  the  dried-up  water  bodies.  However,  some  of  the  measures taken by Government of India to supplement the efforts of the State Governments, are given below.

1. Government  of  India  is  providing  financial  assistance  to  the  identified  schemes  under  Repair, Renovation and Restoration of Water Bodies (RRR of WBs) component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)-Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP).  However, during last three years, no proposal for rejuvenation of water body has been forwarded by Government of Uttar Pradesh, for funding under the scheme.
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  &  making  inventory  of  all  water  bodies,  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. 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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