Lok Sabha Question No. 2030 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-14
Subject: Water Shortage in Uttar Pradesh
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shiromani Ram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2030

ANSWERED ON 14.12.2023

## WATER SHORTAGE IN UTTAR PRADESH

## †2030. SHRI RAMSHIROMANI VERMA

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any data regarding districts facing acute shortage of water in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  almost  every  block  of  many  of  districts  of  Uttar  Pradesh, especially of Shravasti and Balrampur districts, is suffering from the problem of saline/contaminated water and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to take comprehensive measures to meet the shortage of water in the said crisis-hit districts;
- (d) whether the Government has formulated any action plan and fixed any time limit for this purpose and if so, the details thereof;
- (e)  the  funds  allocated/utilized  during  each  of  the  last  three  years  for  various  water  management programmes; and
- (f) the other steps taken by the Government to check the depleting ground water level in the country?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU )

- (a) & (b) Assessment  of  Dynamic  Ground  Water  Resources  of  each  State/UT  is  being  carried  out jointly by Central Ground Water Board and State Nodal/Ground Water Department periodically. As per the Ground Water Resource Assessment for the year 2023, a total of 357 districts has Over-exploited, Critical and Semi-critical (OCS) Assessment Units. The District-wise number of assessment units falling under the OCS category as per Assessment for the Year 2023 is provided in Annexure.

Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) generates ground water quality data of the country including Uttar  Pradesh,  on  a  regional  scale  as  part  of  its  ground  water  quality  monitoring  program  and  various scientific  studies.  As  per  the  ground  water  quality  analysis,  parts  of  certain  districts  in  UP  are  having contaminants beyond permissible limits (as per BIS Standards) for drinking water,

| Contaminants                       |   No. of districts partly affected |
|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
| Salinity (Electrical Conductivity) |                                 21 |
| Fluoride                           |                                 42 |
| Nitrate                            |                                 45 |
| Iron                               |                                 75 |

| Lead     |   25 |
|----------|------|
| Cadmium  |   02 |
| Chromium |   18 |

Also,  as  per  the  groundwater  quality  analysis,  salinity  has  not  been  reported  in  Balrampur  and Shravasti  districts  of  Uttar  Pradesh,  however,  Arsenic  and  Iron  beyond  permissible  limits  (as  per  BIS Standards) are reported  from isolated pockets in 7 out of 9 blocks in  Balrampur districts  and 4 out of  5 blocks in Shravasti district of Uttar Pradesh.

As per Ground Water Resource Assessment, 2023; blocks of Balrampur and Shravasti are under Safe category i.e. ratio of 'Annual Ground Water Extraction' with respect to 'Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource' is less than or equal to 70% .

As far as overall water scenario (including surface water) in the country is concerned, the  report of National Commission for Integrated Water Resource Development (NCIWRD) and Reassessment of Water Availability study shows that 'per capita water availability' and 'per capita water use' for the year 2050 as 1219 cum/year (cubic metre per year) and 740 cum/year respectively for the country.

(c)  to (e) Water being a State subject, steps for augmentation, conservation and efficient management of water resources are primarily undertaken by the respective State Governments. In order to supplement the efforts of the State Governments, Central Government provides technical and financial assistance to them through various schemes and programmes. Some of the important measures taken by Central Government are -

In order to ensure the supply of water to the masses, Government of India, in partnership with State, is  implementing  Jal  Jeevan  Mission  (JJM)  to  provide  a  Functional  Household  Tap  Connection  for  water supply with assured service level of 55 litres per capita per day (lpcd), with adequate focus on the quality of tap water to every rural household of the country by 2024. Under this scheme there is great emphasis on community participation, water source sustainability and prescribed water quality (BIS:10500) monitoring to ensure safe drinking water for all on regular and long term basis.

Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has taken up Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme under the scheme of Ground Water Management and Regulation (GWMR). The Aquifer Mapping is aimed to  delineate  aquifer  disposition  and  their  characterization  for  preparation  of  aquifer/  area  specific  ground water management plans with community participation. The Aquifer mapping for the entire mappable area of the Country of about 25 lakh sq. km including Uttar Pradesh (2.4 Lakh sq. km) has been completed. The management  plans  have  been  prepared  and  shared  with  the  respective  State  governments  for  taking appropriate measures / implementation.

Ministry has circulated a Model Bill to all the States/UTs to enable them to enact suitable ground water legislation for regulation of its development, which also includes provision of rain water harvesting. So far, 21 States/UTs including Uttar Pradesh have adopted and implemented the ground water legislation.

Master  Plan  for  Artificial  Recharge  to  Groundwater-  2020  has  been  prepared  by  CGWB  in consultation  with  States/UTs  which  is  a  macro  level  plan  indicating  various  structures  for  the  different terrain conditions of the country including estimated cost. The Master Plan envisages construction of about 2.3 lakh Rain water harvesting and artificial recharge structures in the State of Uttar Pradesh. The Master plan has been shared with the respective States/UTs for implementation.

Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) is implementing, Ground Water Management and Regulation (GWMR) Scheme for providing scientific inputs for groundwater management. Major activities being taken up under the scheme include aquifer mapping, ground water level and quality monitoring, assessment of dynamic  ground  water  resources,  regulation  and  control  of  ground  water  withdrawal,  demonstrative artificial recharge projects, outreach activities etc.

The details of funds allocated and utilized under GWMR scheme are given in the table below:

| Financial Year   |   Funds allocated (Rs in Cr) |   Funds utilized (Rs in Cr) |
|------------------|------------------------------|-----------------------------|
| 2020-21          |                       140.81 |                      138.05 |
| 2021-22          |                       180.24 |                      180.19 |
| 2022-23          |                       330    |                      204.76 |

Government of India is implementing Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL), a Central Sector Scheme in identified water stressed areas of 8213 Gram Panchayats (GPs) under 229 blocks in 80 districts of Seven States viz. Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh with an aim to arrest decline in ground water level through community led sustainable groundwater management. The scheme is being implemented from 01.04.2020 for a period of 5 years.

The funds released under Atal Bhujal Yojana:

(Rs. in Crores)

| Financial Year            |   Total Funds released |   Funds released to Uttar Pradesh |
|---------------------------|------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| 2020-21                   |                 109    |                              7.69 |
| 2021-22                   |                 310.4  |                             32.33 |
| 2022-23                   |                1138.53 |                             65.84 |
| 2023-24 (till 07.12.2023) |                 814.17 |                             28.73 |
| Total                     |                2372.1  |                            134.6  |

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) is an umbrella scheme, consisting of two major components  being  implemented  by  Ministry  of  Jal  Shakti,  namely,  Accelerated  Irrigation  Benefits Programme  (AIBP),  and  Har  Khet  Ko  Pani  (HKKP).  Under  PMKSY-AIBP,  Saryu  Nahar  Pariyojna (National  Project)  is  a  ongoing  project,  benefiting  the  Baharaich,  Basti,Gorakhpur,  Gonda,  Shravasti, Balrampur, Sidharth Nagar, Sant Kabir Nagar districts of Uttar Pradesh. Under this project, 539.18 thousand hectares Irrigation Potential has been created during 2016-23 and Rs 1097.94 crore Central Assistance has been provided during this period.

- ( f) The  various  important  steps  taken  by  the  Central  Government  for  sustainable  ground  water management including check on ground water depletion in the country which can be seen at

https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s3a70dc40477bc2adceef4d2c90f47eb82/uploads/2023/02/2023021742.pdf

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) & (b) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  2030  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  14.12.2023  REGARDING  'WATER SHORTAGE IN UTTAR PRADESH'.

## District wise number of assessment units falling under the OCS category in different States/UTs

| States                           |   No of OCS districts in State as per GWRA-2023 |
|----------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| ANDHRA PRADESH                   |                                               9 |
| ASSAM                            |                                               1 |
| BIHAR                            |                                              13 |
| CHANDIGARH                       |                                               1 |
| CHHATTISGARH                     |                                              16 |
| DADRA&NAGAR HAVELI and DAMAN&DIU |                                               3 |
| DELHI                            |                                              11 |
| GUJARAT                          |                                              13 |
| HARYANA                          |                                              20 |
| JAMMU AND KASHMIR                |                                               1 |
| JHARKHAND                        |                                              10 |
| KARNATAKA                        |                                              23 |
| KERALA                           |                                               9 |
| LADAKH                           |                                               1 |
| LAKSHADWEEP                      |                                               1 |
| MADHYA PRADESH                   |                                              35 |
| MAHARASHTRA                      |                                              14 |
| ODISHA                           |                                               7 |
| PUDUCHERRY                       |                                               1 |
| PUNJAB                           |                                              22 |
| RAJASTHAN                        |                                              32 |
| TAMILNADU                        |                                              33 |
| TELANGANA                        |                                              22 |
| UTTAR PRADESH                    |                                              47 |
| UTTARAKHAND                      |                                               3 |
| WEST BENGAL                      |                                               9 |
| Total                            |                                             357 |

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