Lok Sabha Question No. 2370 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-13
Subject: Decline in Annual Groundwater Recharge
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Aditya Yadav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2370

## ANSWERED ON 13.03.2025

## DECLINE IN ANNUAL GROUNDWATER RECHARGE

## 2370.  SHRI ADITYA YADAV

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken cognizance of the fact that the total annual groundwater recharge in the  country  marginally  declined  in  2024  as  compared  to  2023  and  so  did  water  availability  due  to  higher groundwater  extraction  last  year,  with  northwest  India  including  parts  of  Punjab,  Haryana,  Delhi  and Western Uttar Pradesh, being the bigger culprits; and

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the preventive steps proposed to be taken by the Government keeping in mind that groundwater extraction for cultivating water-guzzling paddy in Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh is one of the key reasons behind over exploitation in the region?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a)  & (b) As  per  the  Dynamic Ground Water Resource Assessment conducted by Central Ground Water Board  (CGWB)  for  the  years  2023  and  2024,  it  is  seen  that  total  annual  ground  water  recharge  for  the country as a whole has slightly decreased from 449 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM) to 446.9 BCM between the period and total  annual  ground  water  extraction  for  all  purposes  has  slightly  increased  from  241  BCM  to 245.64 BCM. However, in order to gain a correct perspective, the long term data between the years 2017 and 2024 may be compared, which shows that the annual ground water recharge has increased from 432 BCM to 446.9  BCM  and  annual  ground  water  extraction  has  reduced  from  249  BCM  to  245.64  BCM  during  the subject period, showing overall improvement.

With regard to the north-western states of Punjab, Delhi Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, figures largely indicate towards status quo between 2023 and 2024, whereas in Punjab there is slight improvement in terms of both recharge as well as extraction. However, the overall ground water situation in the said states is below par when compared to national average.

Water being a State subject, sustainable development and management of groundwater resources is primarily the responsibility of the State Government. However, the Central Government facilitates the efforts of  the  State  Governments  by  way  of  technical  and  financial  assistance  through  its  various  schemes  and projects. In this direction, the important steps taken by the Ministry of Jal Shakti and other central ministries

for sustainable development of ground water resources in the country, including in the north-western part, are given below:-

- i. The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW)  is implementing Crop Diversification Programme  (CDP) under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana -Remunerative Approaches  for  Agriculture  and  Allied  Sectors  Rejuvenation  (RKVY-RAFTAAR),  in  Original Green Revolution States viz.,  Haryana,  Punjab  and  Western  Uttar  Pradesh  to  divert  the  area  of water intensive paddy crop to alternative crops like pulses, oilseeds, coarse cereals, nutri cereals and  cotton  etc.  Under  CDP  assistance  is  given  for  alternative  crops  demonstration,  farm mechanization  and  value  addition,  site  specific  activities  and  contingency  for  awareness  & capacity building etc.
- ii. Further,  Government  of  India  supplements  the  efforts  of  state  governments  to  encourage diversified  production  of  crops  such  as  pulses,  coarse  cereals,  nutri  cereals  &  cotton  under National Food Security Mission (NFSM).
- iii. Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare (DA & FW), GoI, is also implementing Per Drop More Crop Scheme in the country since 2015-16, which focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at farm level through Micro Irrigation and better on-farm water management practices to optimize the use of available water resources.
- iv. The Central Government is implementing Atal Bhujal Yojana in 80 water stressed districts in the states  of  Gujarat,  Haryana,  Karnataka,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Maharashtra,  Rajasthan  and  Uttar Pradesh.  The  primary  aim  of  the  scheme  is  demand  side  management  through  scientific  means based on water budgeting of the area involving the local communities at village levels leading to sustainable  groundwater  management  in  the  targeted  areas.  Promoting  water  efficient  irrigation practices and incentivizing the farmers to switch over to less water intensive crops are major focus areas  under  Atal  Jal  Scheme.  Shifting  from  flood  irrigation  to  Directly  Seeded  Rice  (DSR) technique is also being popularized through trainings and IEC activities.
- v. M/o  Jal  Shakti  is  promoting  conjunctive  use  of  surface  water  and  groundwater  and  to  reduce dependence on groundwater, surface water based Major and Medium irrigation projects have been taken up in the country under PMKSY-AIBP scheme in collaboration with States/UTs.
- vi. MoJS  has  issued  advisories  to  States/UTs  to  review  their  free/subsidized  electricity  policy  to farmers, bring suitable water pricing policy and to work further towards crop rotation/diversification/other  initiatives  to  reduce  over-dependence  on  groundwater.  States  like Punjab and Haryana have informed about working on the said advisories so as to limit their ground water extraction.
- vii. The Government is implementing Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) in the country since 2019 which is a mission  mode  and  time  bound  programme  for  harvesting  the  rainfall  and  taking  up  water conservation  activities.  Currently,  JSA  2024  is  being  implemented  in  the  country  with  special focus on 151 water stressed districts of the  country. JSA is an umbrella campaign under which various ground water recharge and conservation related works are being taken up in convergence with various central and state schemes.
- viii. Mission Amrit Sarovar was launched by the Government of India which aimed at developing and rejuvenating at least 75 water bodies in each district of the country with a view to increase water storage  and  enhance  ground  water  recharge.  As  an  outcome  nearly  69,000  Amrit  Sarovars  have been constructed/rejuvenated in the country.

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