Lok Sabha Question No. 2859 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-08
Subject: Rain Water Harvesting
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Balya Mama Suresh Gopinath Mhatre

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2859

ANSWERED ON 08.08.2024

## RAIN WATER HARVESTING

## 2859.   SHRI BALYA MAMA SURESH GOPINATH MHATRE

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a)  the  steps  taken  and  schemes  introduced  by  the  Government  to  increase  the  practice  of  rainwater harvesting in the country; and

(b) the schemes of the Government to manage the increasing water stress in the tribal area of Shahapur in Thane district of Maharashtra?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) & (b) Water  is  a  State  subject  and  the  Central  Government supplements the  efforts of the States through  technical  and  financial  support.  Water  conservation  through  rainwater  harvesting  is  one  of  the foremost priorities of the Government. Major steps taken by the Government for water conservation and rainwater harvesting to manage water stress in the country including Maharashtra are as follows:

- i. Government of India has been implementing a scheme namely Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) which inter-alia includes water conservation and water harvesting structures.
- ii. Financial  assistance  is  given  to  various  States  under  15th  Finance  Commission  tied  grants which can be inter-alia utilized for rainwater harvesting.
- iii. The Ministry of Jal Shakti has been implementing Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) since 2019 on an annual basis.  In  the  current  year,  Ministry  of  Jal  Shakti  is  implementing  Jal  Shakti  Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR) 2024, 5 th in the series of JSAs, in all the districts (rural as well as urban) of the country. JSA: CTR is a convergence of various Central Government schemes and funds like MGNREGS, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Per  Drop  More  Crop,  Repair,  Renovation  and  Restoration  Components  under  the  Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning  Authority  (CAMPA),  Finance  Commission  grants,  State  Government  schemes, Corporate  Social  Responsibility  (CSR)  funds  etc.  One  of  the  major  interventions  undertaken under  the  campaign  includes  constructions  and  repair  or  rainwater  harvesting  structures including rooftop and water harvesting structures. The State  Government of Maharashtra has

reported  that  47,405  works  in  the  interventions  such  as  water  conservation  and  rainwater harvesting, renovation of traditional water bodies, reuse and recharge structures and watershed development have been carried out in 36 districts of Maharashtra under JSA: CTR in 2023-24.

- iv. Atal  Mission  for  Rejuvenation  and  Urban  Transformation  (AMRUT)  2.0  has  provisions  for harvesting  the  rainwater  through  storm  water  drains  into  water  body  (which  is  not  receiving sewage/effluent). Through preparation of 'Aquifer Management Plan' cities targets to strategize groundwater  recharge  augmentation  by  developing  a  roadmap  for  improving  rain  water harvesting within city limits. Through IEC campaign, awareness is created about practices for water conservation like rainwater harvesting.
- v. Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has formulated guidelines for the States to adopt measures suitable to local conditions, such as Unified Building Bye Laws (UBBL) of Delhi, 2016, Model Building Bye Laws (MBBL), 2016 and Urban and Regional Development Plan Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines, 2014 with adequate focus on requirement of rainwater harvesting and water conservation measures.
- vi. Government  of India has been implementing 'Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY)' with an aim to enhance physical access of water on farm and expand cultivable area under  assured  irrigation,  improve  on  farm  water  use  efficiency,  introduce  sustainable  water conservation practices etc.
- vii. The Ministry of Jal Shakti has set up the Bureau of Water Use Efficiency (BWUE) under the National Water Mission on 20.10.2022, to act as a facilitator for promotion of improving water use efficiency across various sectors namely irrigation, drinking water supply,  power generation, industries, etc. in the country.
- viii. Mission Amrit Sarovar was implemented in the recent times with provisions for creation/rejuvenation  of  at  least  75  Amrit  Sarovars  in  every  district  of  the  country  with  the purpose to harvest and conserve water.
- ix. Central Ground  Water Board (CGWB)  has  completed  the National Aquifer  Mapping (NAQUIM) Project in the entire mappable area of about 25 lakh sq. km. which has been shared with the respective State agencies for implementation. The management plans include various water conservation measures through recharge structures.
- x. CGWB  has  also  prepared  a  Master  Plan  for  Artificial  Recharge  to  Groundwater-  2020  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  has provisions  for  construction  of  about  1.42  crore  Rain  water  harvesting  and  artificial  recharge structures in the country to harness 185 Billion Cubic Metre (BCM) of monsoon rainfall.
- xi. CGWB, under Ground Water Management & Regulation Scheme, has also implemented several successful artificial recharge projects in the country for demonstrative purpose which enable the State Governments to replicate the same in suitable hydro-geological conditions.
- xii. National Water Policy (2012) has been formulated by Department of Water Resources, RD & GR,  which  inter-alia  advocates  rainwater  harvesting  and  conservation  of  water  and  also highlights the need for augmenting the availability of water through direct use of rainfall.
- xiii. Department  of  Land  Resources  (DoLR)  implements  Watershed  Development  Component  of Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchai  Yojana  (WDC-PMKSY) for  the  development  of  rainfed  and degraded lands in the country. The activities undertaken, inter-alia, include ridge area treatment, drainage line treatment, soil and moisture conservation, rainwater harvesting, nursery raising, pasture  development,  livelihoods  for  asset-less  persons  etc.  WDC-PMKSY,  through  these interventions,  seeks  to  ensure  sustainable  development  through  improved  natural  resource management and better resilience of farmers to climate change.
- xiv. The  State  Government  of  Maharashtra  has  reported  that  475  water  conservation  structures having  irrigation  potential  of  4,615  hectare  and  water  storage  capacity  of  23,298  TCM  have been  completed  till  March  2024  in  Shahapur  of  Thane  district.  Further,  Jal  Yukta  Shivar Abhiyan 2.0 is being implemented through convergence in 5,839 villages of 34 districts of the State  from  year  2023.  As  on  May,  2024,  54,845  soil  and  water  conservation  structures  have been completed and expenditure to the tune of Rs 979 crore has been incurred.

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