Lok Sabha Question No. 3191 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-07
Subject: Implementation and Expansion of Atal Bhujal Yojana
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Dr. Byreddy Shabari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3191

ANSWERED ON 07.08.2025

## IMPLEMENTATION AND EXPANSION OF ATAL BHUJAL YOJANA

3191. DR. BYREDDY SHABARI

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the projects being undertaken under the Atal Bhujal Yojana in the currently selected States including their present status of implementation, State/UT-wise;
- (b)  the  total  funds  allocated,  released  and  utilised  in  each  of  these  States  since  the  inception  of  the Yojana, year-wise;
- (c) the measurable impact of the scheme on groundwater recharge, water table levels and local water conservation practices, State/UT-wise;
- (d)  whether the Government has identified any innovative models or best practices from these States that may be replicated in other regions and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Government proposes to expand the Atal Bhujal Yojana to other waterstressed districts and States across the country and if so, the details thereof along with the timeline and criteria set for such expansion?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) Atal  Bhujal  Yojana,  is  a  community  led  participatory  ground  water  management  scheme focusing on demand side management of ground water, being implemented in 80 water stressed districts in 7 States.

Major activities/works undertaken under the Scheme are mentioned below:

-  Measurement and public disclosure of groundwater data has been made across all 8,203 Atal Jal Gram Panchayats (GPs) of all 7 states through physical as well as electronic means.
-  Community-led Water Budgets (WBs) and Water Security Plans (WSPs) have been prepared by all GPs of all 7 states and updated annually.
-  More than 1.25 lakh GP-level trainings have been conducted, alongside Block, District and Statelevel capacity-building trainings.

-  Piezometers  along  with  Digital  Water  Level  Recorders  (DWLRs)  and  Rain  Gauges  have  been installed in almost all GPs under the Yojana.
-  Around 81,700 supply-side structures like check dams, ponds, recharge shafts/pits etc. have been constructed/renovated for water conservation and groundwater recharge across 7 states.
-  Around  9  lakh  hectares  have  been  brought  under  efficient  water-use  practices  (drip/sprinkler irrigation, mulching, crop diversification, etc.) across 7 states.

(b) Atal  Bhujal  Yojana  is  a  Program  for  Results  scheme  and  allocation  of  funds  is  based  on  the performance  of  the  participating  States  under  various  indicators.  Further,  the  funds  are  fungible  and allocation can be moved from under-performing to better performing states. The total amount of funds released and utilised, state-wise, as on 31.03.2025 under Atal Bhujal Yojana is provided in Annexure I.

(c) Arresting the decline of ground water levels is one of the important performance indicators under Atal  Bhujal  Yojana.  The  scheme  is  being  implemented  in  229  Blocks  of  7  States  and  as  per  the assessment conducted, out of 229 Blocks, totally 83 Blocks have shown improvement in ground water levels as detailed in Annexure -II.

Under  the  Atal  Bhujal  Yojana,  due  importance  is  given  to  various  local  water  conservation structures/ practises, as they represent traditional knowledge and are also best suited for local terrain and climatic  conditions.  The  practice  of  constructing  traditional  structures  like  Gokatte,  Bawdi,  Johad, Tanka, Kalyani, Diggi, etc.  has been revived and further strengthened.

(d) Under Atal Bhujal Yojana, the participating states have adopted some innovative models which have  proven  to  be  quite  impactful  in  terms  of  awareness  creation,  capacity  building  and  efficient utilization of water. Some of the best practices, which have been identified, documented and publicized for replication and scaling up in other parts of the country are given below:

-  Gujarat: Use of mobile van for groundwater quality training at Panchayat, Taluka, and District levels.  Farmers  bring  borewell  samples  for  on-the-spot  testing,  enabling  immediate,  informed decisions.
-  Karnataka: Use of IoT-based 'FASAL & Phyllo' systems in Chikkaballapura& Bengaluru Rural for cultivation of grapes, pomegranates, and roses. These use soil sensors, weather data, and pest prediction to optimize irrigation, saving 20-40% water through precision farming.
-  Maharashtra: Creation  of  Groundwater  Information  Dissemination  Centre  (GIDC),  which  is  a Panchayat-level community-centric knowledge hub providing groundwater data, water budgets, and scheme updates, helping communities make informed water management decisions.

-  Rajasthan: A  holistic  Water-Saving  poly-house  Model  has  been  developed  which  integrates several  key  water  conservation  elements  like  poly-house,  farm  pond,  solar  pump  and  microirrigation.  Apart  from enabling  efficient  water  use,  this  model  supports  year-round  high-value crop  cultivation,  helping  the  farmers  by  way  of increased  yields,  reduced  input  costs,  and improved incomes.
-  Madhya Pradesh: Jal Saksharta Rath campaign covered 670 Gram Panchayats across 6 districts, simplifying  technical  knowledge  on  piezometers,  rain  gauges,  and  water  flow  meters  for communities and students. By blending technical literacy with transparency in digital data, the initiative  strengthened  local  leadership  and  set  a  model  for  community  participation  in  water governance.
-  Haryana:  the  state  has  deployed  the  innovative  system  called  IISIF  (Irrigation  Intelligence Software for Irrigation Forecasting), which optimizes water use by leveraging satellite, weather, soil, and crop data. It provides personalized irrigation and pest advisories via a mobile/web app, enhancing productivity and sustainability.
-  Uttar Pradesh: "Know Your GP" initiative, which assigns QR codes to Panchayats, offering realtime  groundwater  data,  water  budgets,  existing  water  conservation  structures,  and  real-time updates on ongoing interventions, thus, promoting transparency and community involvement.

(e) Atal  Bhujal  Yojana  is  a  pilot  project  for  participatory  ground  water  management  with  a  fixed duration & outlay. Currently, the project is under impact assessment stage.

***

## ANNEXURE-I

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3191 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 07.08.2025 REGARDING 'IMPLEMENTATION AND EXPANSION OF ATAL BHUJAL YOJANA'.

(amount in Rs. Crores)

| State          |   Released |   Utilised |
|----------------|------------|------------|
| Gujarat        |     595.57 |     470.61 |
| Haryana        |     753    |     620.48 |
| Karnataka      |     903.21 |     831.71 |
| Madhya Pradesh |     211.75 |     193.89 |
| Maharashtra    |     643.82 |     609.59 |
| Rajasthan      |     489.5  |     484.79 |
| Uttar Pradesh  |     264.83 |     207.13 |
| Total          |    3861.68 |    3418.2  |

ANNEXURE-II ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3191 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 07.08.2025 REGARDING 'IMPLEMENTATION AND EXPANSION OF ATAL BHUJAL YOJANA'.

| States          | Total   |   BlocksNumber of Blocks in which Ground Water Level has shown improvement |
|-----------------|---------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Gujarat         | 36      |                                                                         13 |
| Haryana         | 36      |                                                                         14 |
| Karnataka       | 41      |                                                                         20 |
| Madhya Pradesh9 |         |                                                                          4 |
| Maharashtra     | 43      |                                                                         14 |
| Rajasthan       | 38      |                                                                         13 |
| Uttar Pradesh   | 26      |                                                                          5 |
| Grand Total     | 229     |                                                                         83 |

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