Lok Sabha Question No. 158 (STARRED), answered on 2024-12-05
Subject: Ground Water Management and Regulation Scheme
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Kesineni Sivanath, Shri Daggumalla Prasada Rao

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *158

ANSWERED ON 05.12.2024

## GROUND WATER MANAGEMENT AND REGULATION SCHEME

| *158                                                                                                                                                              | SHRIDAGGUMALLA PRASADA RAO                                                                                                                                        | SHRI KESINENI SIVANATH                                                                                                                                            |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:                                                                                                              | Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:                                                                                                              | Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:                                                                                                              |
| (b) the details of the total number of notified areas for regulation of ground water development by the                                                           | (b) the details of the total number of notified areas for regulation of ground water development by the                                                           | (b) the details of the total number of notified areas for regulation of ground water development by the                                                           |
| Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) especially in the State of Andhra Pradesh, district-wise;                                                                   | Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) especially in the State of Andhra Pradesh, district-wise;                                                                   | Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) especially in the State of Andhra Pradesh, district-wise;                                                                   |
| (c) whether the Government has any data regarding the complaints of violations under the notified areas                                                           | (c) whether the Government has any data regarding the complaints of violations under the notified areas                                                           | (c) whether the Government has any data regarding the complaints of violations under the notified areas                                                           |
| during the last three years and the current year and if so, the details thereof, State-wise;                                                                      | during the last three years and the current year and if so, the details thereof, State-wise;                                                                      | during the last three years and the current year and if so, the details thereof, State-wise;                                                                      |
| (d) the details of the total number of identified, in progress and completed projects under the component                                                         | (d) the details of the total number of identified, in progress and completed projects under the component                                                         | (d) the details of the total number of identified, in progress and completed projects under the component                                                         |
| for artificial recharge during the last five years; and                                                                                                           | for artificial recharge during the last five years; and                                                                                                           | for artificial recharge during the last five years; and                                                                                                           |
| (e) whether the Government has any plan to incorporate new components under the scheme by considering the extension of the scheme and if so, the details thereof? | (e) whether the Government has any plan to incorporate new components under the scheme by considering the extension of the scheme and if so, the details thereof? | (e) whether the Government has any plan to incorporate new components under the scheme by considering the extension of the scheme and if so, the details thereof? |
| ANSWER                                                                                                                                                            | ANSWER                                                                                                                                                            | ANSWER                                                                                                                                                            |
| THE MINISTER OF JAL SHAKTI                                                                                                                                        | THE MINISTER OF JAL SHAKTI                                                                                                                                        | THE MINISTER OF JAL SHAKTI                                                                                                                                        |
| (SHRI C R PAATIL)                                                                                                                                                 | (SHRI C R PAATIL)                                                                                                                                                 | (SHRI C R PAATIL)                                                                                                                                                 |

(a) to (e) : A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. *158  TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.12.2024 IN LOK SABHA REGARDING 'GROUND WATER MANAGEMENT AND REGULATION SCHEME'

(a) Ground  Water  Management  and  Regulation  (GWMR)  Scheme  is  a  Central  Sector  Scheme  being implemented since 2007-08 by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB). Major activities being taken up under the scheme include regular ground water level and quality monitoring throughout the country along with  annual  quality  and  resource  assessment;  National  Aquifer  Mapping  and  Management  (NAQUIM) Programme;  Regulation  and  control  of  ground  water  withdrawal  in  States/UTs;  Taking  up  few demonstrative recharge projects in selected water stressed areas and Strengthening of scientific infrastructure for technological up gradation.

The  major  activity  under  the  scheme  is  National  Aquifer  Mapping  and  Management  Programme (NAQUIM) which is being implemented with the objectives to delineate and characterize the aquifers and develop plans for ground water management. Under this component, so far the entire mappable area of the country  of  around  25  lakh  sq.km  has  been  covered  along  with  1.41  lakh  sq  kms  of  Andhra  Pradesh. Further, aquifer maps and management plans have been shared with all the State and District authorities for suitable demand side and supply side interventions.

(b) Central  Ground  Water  Authority  (CGWA)  regulates  abstraction  cum  use  of  Groundwater  in  the country  as  per  the  provisions  of  its  Guidelines  dated  24.09.2020.  The  concept  of  Notified  Areas  is  no longer applicable as per the Guidelines dated 24.09.2020. As per these Guidelines, NOCs are being issued and  abstraction  charges  are  being  levied  based  on  the  classification  of  Assessment  Units  (wherein  the projects are located), into Safe, Critical, Semi-critical, Over Exploited and Saline categories. Further, as per the dynamic ground water resource assessment, 2023, out of 6553 total Assessment Units (AUs) in the country, 736  AUs  have been categorized as Over-Exploited (OE), .

As per the information received from the state government, regulation and management of ground water resources in the state is being done under Andhra Pradesh Water, Land & Trees Act (APWLTA). Further, under the prevailing ground water regulation regime in the state, a total of 188 villages in seven districts have been notified for regulation of ground water development in Andhra Pradesh. District-wise details are provided in Annexure.

(c) CGWA has been acting promptly, either suo moto or based on complaints against illegal extraction of ground water and non-compliance of NOC conditions. Environmental Compensation (EC) charges and penalties are imposed against the violators as per the provisions of its Guidelines. As per records, penalties have been imposed and recovered from 5568 cases and Environmental compensation has been imposed and recovered from 1150 cases up to November 2024.

Further, as per the information received from APWLTA no complaints of violations in notified areas have been received by them in the past three years including the current year.

(d) Under GWM &R Scheme, important artificial recharge projects handled by CGWB in the past five years  include  construction  of  AR  structures  in  Aspirational  Districts  of  Osmanabad,  YSR  Kadapa  and Warangal; construction of innovative Bridge-cum-Bhandaras meant for water storage as well as artificial recharge  in  Wardha  and  Amravati  districts  of  Maharashtra;  and  Ground  water  augmentation  through artificial  recharge  in  identified  water  stressed  areas  of  Rajasthan  comprising  of  Jodhpur,  Jaisalmer  and Sikar districts. All put together, since 2018, 195 check dams, 113 recharge shafts, 8 percolation tanks, 5 bridge-cum-bhandaras, 2 sub-surface barriers and 2 dams have been constructed across the country under GWM & R scheme. Apart from GWM & R scheme, the Ministry of Jal Shakti is implementing Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) across the country since 2019 in mission mode and currently JSA 2024 is in progress. Since  the  inception  of  JSA,  a  total  of  around  1.57  cr.  water  conservation  and  rain  water  harvesting structures have been completed/ongoing in the country and an expenditure of Rs. 1.15 lakh cr has been incurred towards this through convergence with MGNREGS alone.

(e) Present phase of GWM&R Scheme has been approved for a period from 2021-2026 and there is no proposal for incorporation of new components to the Scheme under consideration of the Ministry.

***

## ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *158 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.12.2024 REGARDING 'GROUND WATER MANAGEMENT AND REGULATION SCHEME'.

| Sl.No.   | District      |   No. of Notified Villages |
|----------|---------------|----------------------------|
| 1.       | Ananthapuram  |                          6 |
| 2.       | Chittoor      |                          1 |
| 3.       | Palnadu       |                         16 |
| 4.       | Prakasam      |                         57 |
| 5.       | Sri Satya Sai |                         42 |
| 6.       | Srikakulam    |                         53 |
| 7.       | YSR Kadapa    |                         13 |
|          | Total         |                        188 |

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