Lok Sabha Question No. 2328 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-13
Subject: Integrated Water Resources Management
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, Dr. Manna Lal Rawat, Shri Basavaraj Bommai, Shri Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor, Shri Mukesh Rajput, Shri Manoj Tiwari, Shri Dineshbhai Makwana, Shri Praveen Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2328

ANSWERED ON 13.03.2025

## INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

†2328. SHRI DINESHBHAI MAKWANA DR. MANNA LAL RAWAT SHRI JASWANTSINH SUMANBHAI BHABHOR SHRI VISHWESHWAR HEGDE KAGERI SHRI BASAVARAJ BOMMAI SHRI PRAVEEN PATEL SHRI MUKESH RAJPUT SHRI MANOJ TIWARI

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  has  recently  conducted  the  Second  All-India  State  Water  Ministers' Conference at Udaipur, Rajasthan and if so, the details thereof;

(b) the manner in which the conference focused on integrated water resource management addresses Statespecific water challenges and the strategies proposed for its implementation;

(c) whether the role of the data, technology and innovation in improving water governance and efficiency has been discussed in the said conference and if so, the details thereof along with the specific technological interventions deliberated upon;

(d) whether the 'Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari' initiative promotes water conservation at the grassroots level and if so, the details thereof along with the measures to be undertaken for its nationwide expansion; and (e) whether the steps taken/being taken by the Government to expedite river-linking projects and if so, the details thereof along with the manner in which consensus-building among States would be ensured?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a)  &  (b) The  2 nd State  Water  Ministers'  Conference  2025,  with  the  theme  'India@2047  -  A  Water Secure  Nation',  was  organized  by  the  Ministry  of  Jal  Shakti  in  Udaipur  on  18-19  February,  2025.The conference  was  inaugurated  by  the  Hon'ble  Minister  of  Jal  Shakti  and  the  Hon'ble  Chief  Minister  of Rajasthan. The event also witnessed the esteemed presence of the Hon'ble Chief Ministers of Odisha and Tripura, along with the Hon'ble Deputy Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka. This  conference  was  attended  by  33  Hon'ble  Ministers  and  over  300  delegates  from  the  Central/State

Governments,  Multilateral/Bilateral  Organizations  etc.  The  discussions  focused  on  strengthening  India's water security by 2047, fostering inter-state collaboration and advancing key water conservation initiatives across  the  country.  The  conference  was  structured  in  6  thematic  sessions  viz.  1.  Strengthening  Water Governance, 2. Water Storages Infrastructure & Augmenting the Supply, 3. Water Delivery Services with focus on Drinking Water, 4. Water Delivery Services with Focus on Irrigation & other uses, 5. Demand Management & Water Use Efficiency, 6. Integrated River & Coastal Management.

The 2 nd State Water Ministers' Conference 2025 focused on Integrated Water Resource Management recognizing it as a key approach to addressing State-specific water challenges. The conference underscored that water cannot be managed in isolation and highlighted the importance of coordinated governance across multiple levels. The need for multi-level governance to ensure effective water management, from basin and sub-basin levels to state, district and municipal levels was highlighted. The discussions emphasized that Integrated Water Resource Management must integrate various water sources, including rainfall, surface water,  groundwater  and  treated  water,  ensuring  a  holistic  and  sustainable  approach.  To  operationalize Integrated Water Resource Management effectively, the conference proposed a decentralized governance structure which will enhance coordination across sectors.

(c) The 2 nd State Water Ministers' Conference 2025 extensively discussed the role of data, technology and innovation in improving water governance and efficiency. Key interventions included Internet of Things (IoT)-based smart water meters under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) for real-time monitoring, hydrogeological maps for groundwater management and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based systems for tracking water losses and leakages.

Many innovations in water governance and efficiency were discussed during the Conference inter-alia including  the  use  of  real-time  monitoring  and  automation  technologies.  In  urban  water  governance, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems have been deployed for both water supply and  sewerage  management,  enabling  continuous  monitoring  of  water  distribution,  leak  detection  and sewage  treatment  performance.  The  Navi  Mumbai  Municipal  Corporation  (NMMC)  has  integrated SCADA into its Sequential Batch Reactor (SBR)-based sewage treatment plants (STPs), ensuring real-time compliance with environmental standards and efficient reuse of treated wastewater and also utilises holding ponds,   which  act  as  both  retention  basins  during  normal  conditions  and  storage  during  high  tides  to prevent water logging , as part of its integrated drainage system, which features separate storm and waste water  disposal.   For  groundwater  management,  the  use  of  hydrogeological  maps  (HGM  Maps)  was discussed  as  an  innovation  in  scientific  water  resource  planning.  Tamil  Nadu  during  2014  developed groundwater  prospect  maps  helping  authorities  identify  groundwater  recharge  areas  and  design  suitable interventions  such  as  borewells,  infiltration  wells  and  open  wells.  In  agriculture,  precision  irrigation technologies  like  drip  and  sprinkler  systems  were  emphasized,  along  with  AI  &  IoT-enabled  smart irrigation for automated water management.

(d) The Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) initiative was launched on September 6, 2024, in Surat, Gujarat, under  Jal  Shakti  Abhiyan:  Catch  the  Rain  (JSA:  CTR)  campaign  in  the  virtual  presence  of  the  Hon'ble Prime Minister. The Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari(JSJB) initiative has emerged as an innovative initiative for intensified community action for construction of low-cost artificial recharge structures with focus on roof top  rainwater  harvesting  structures,  recharging  of  defunct  bore  wells  and  recharge  pits  made  through innovative  financing  models  like  philanthropic  contribution,  Industrial  Corporate  Social  Responsibility (CSR), community partnership models and for finding cost effective local solutions for water conservation. JSJB offers a scalable, sustainable approach to address depleting groundwater levels at a micro level. With artificial  recharge  structures  and  advanced  monitoring  systems,  JSJB  aims  to  contribute  to  groundwater replenishment  while  encouraging  responsible  water  usage.  JSJB  aims  to  create  one  million  low-cost recharge  structures  across  urban  and  rural  India,  using  a  combination  of  scientific  technology  and traditional methods.

The  key  objective  of  the  Jal  Sanchay  Jan  Bhagidari  initiative  is  to  conserve  every  drop  of  water through collective efforts, adopting a whole-of-society and whole- of-government approach. By fostering community  ownership,  the  initiative  seeks  to  develop  cost-effective,  local  solutions  tailored  to  water challenges  across  regions,  aiming  to  boost  groundwater  levels,  promote  water  conservation,  enhance climate  resilience,  and  improve  water  quality.  People  with  resources  are  encouraged  to  build  recharge structures in their states and villages of origin. It is expected to build 1 million artificial recharge structures through Jal Sanchay - Jan Bhagidari harnessing both government and private initiative by 31 st May, 2025.

The Government has taken specific steps to facilitate expansion of the JSJB initiative nationwide by issuing  an  advisory  on  07.10.2024,  in  collaboration  with  the  Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB),  to District  Magistrates/Deputy  Commissioners  and  Municipal  Corporations  for  implementation.  To  ensure transparency  and  quality  monitoring,  the  Ministry  has  developed  the  Jal  Sanchay  Dashboard,  an  online platform for tracking recharge structures using GIS coordinates, photographs and financial details. As on 10.03.2025,  7.33  lakh  recharge  structures  have  been  onboarded  under  the  Jal  Sanchay  Jan  Bhagidari initiative. Furthermore, 1% of recharge structures are test-checked for quality assurance. CWC and CGWB also  provide  technical  assistance  for  the  creation  and  renovation  of  recharge  structures  to  improve groundwater augmentation efforts.

Technical officers from CGWB and Central Water Commission (CWC) are assigned to each district and  municipal  corporation  to  provide  guidance  and  to  support  States,  Ministries,  Industries  and  Nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) in implementation. Additionally, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and  technical  advisory  documents  have  been  prepared  by  CGWB  in  collaboration  with  National  Water Mission (NWM) and widely disseminated through the JSA: CTR portal to assist stakeholders at all levels. Information,  Education,  and  Communication  (IEC)  activities  have  also  been  undertaken  to  spread awareness at the grassroots level.

(e) Government of India formulated a National Perspective Plan (NPP) in year 1980 and National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has been entrusted with work of Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) under NPP. Under NPP, 30 link projects have been identified, 16 link projects under Peninsular component and 14 link projects  under  Himalayan  component.  Detailed  Project  Reports  (DPRs)  of  11  link  projects,  Feasibility Reports (FRs) of 26 links and Pre-Feasibility Reports (PFRs) of all the 30 links have been completed.

Government  has  accorded  top  priority  to  ILR  Programme.  Government  of  India  is  making  concerted efforts  for  consensus  building  among  concerned  States  for  expediting  the  implementation  of  these  link projects.  Interlinking of  Rivers (ILR) programme is being pursued in a consultative manner by building consensus amongst party states for the implementation of matured link projects. Vigorous efforts are being made by Government to bring the concerned States on board. All the study reports (PFRs, FRs and DPRs) prepared by NWDA are circulated to concerned State Governments for their views / comments. Comments so received from States are suitably incorporated in these reports.

The State Govt. officers are invited in all the important meetings like  Annual General Meetings of NWDA Society headed by Hon'ble Minister (Jal Shakti), Governing Body meetings of NWDA headed by Secretary (WR), Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers (SCILR) meetings as well as Task Force for Interlinking  of  Rivers  (TFILR)  meetings  for  their  active  interaction  and  involvement  in  deliberations related to link projects. Also, consultation meetings are held with concerned States to deliberate their views / issues. Their issues are deliberated in all these meetings to arrive at suitable solution for taking the link projects forward for implementation.

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