Lok Sabha Question No. 3083 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-07
Subject: Water Crisis
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Dr. Anand Kumar, Shri Rakesh Rathor

## †3083. DR. ANAND KUMAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3083

ANSWERED ON 07.08.2025

## WATER CRISIS

## SHRI RAKESH RATHOR

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware about the water crisis emerging in several States of the country due to depleting groundwater level and inequality in water distribution;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the major schemes being run by the Government to deal with this crisis; and

(c)  whether the Government proposes to introduce an integrated national water policy in the future to resolve water distribution disputes among States and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a)  &  (b) Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB)  under  this  Ministry  monitors  groundwater  levels throughout  the  country  at  regular  prescribed  intervals.  The  perusal  of  data  from  the  monitoring conducted during November 2024 indicates that about 63% of the wells across the country recorded rise in  ground  water  levels  on  comparison  with  decadal  mean  water  levels  (from  November  2014  to November 2023).

However,  water  being  a  State  subject,  sustainable  development  and  management  of  water resources is primarily the responsibility of the State Governments. However, the Central Government facilitates the efforts of the State Governments by way of technical and financial assistance through its various schemes and projects. In this direction, the important steps taken by the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) and other central ministries for sustainable management and augmentation of water resources in the country, by way of taking up  water conservation and ground water recharge  activities/works, with a special emphasis on water stressed parts, are given below:-

- i. The Government is implementing Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) in the country since 2019 in which is a mission mode and time bound programme for harvesting the rainfall and taking up water conservation activities. Currently, JSA 2025 is being implemented in the country with special focus on over-exploited and critical areas. JSA is an umbrella campaign under which various ground water recharge and conservation related works are being taken up in convergence with

various central and state schemes. As per JSA dashboard, in the past 4 years, more than 1.14 Cr water harvesting and recharge works have been completed through coordination in the country.

- ii. MoJS is implementing Atal Bhujal Yojana, which is a community led scheme for participatory ground water management focusing on demand side management of ground water in 80 water stressed  districts  in  7  States.  Construction  of  various  rain  water  harvesting  and  recharge structures like check dams, ponds, shafts etc. are incentivized under the scheme.
- iii. M/o Jal Shakti is promoting conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater and to reduce dependence on groundwater, surface water based Major and Medium irrigation projects have been taken up in the country under PMKSY-AIBP scheme in collaboration with States/UTs.
- iv. Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare (DA & FW), GoI, is implementing Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) Scheme in the country, since 2015-16, which focuses on enhancing water use  efficiency  at  farm  level  through  Micro  Irrigation  and  better  on-farm  water  management practices to optimize the use of available water resources. From 2015-16 till December 2024, an area of 94.36 lakh ha has been covered under micro irrigation in the country through PDMC scheme.
- v. Mission Amrit Sarovar was launched by the Government of India which aimed at developing and rejuvenating at least 75 water bodies in each district of the country. As an outcome nearly 69,000 Amrit Sarovars have been constructed/rejuvenated in the country.
- vi. CGWB has  taken  up  National  Aquifer  Mapping  and  Management  Programme  (NAQUIM) with an aim to delineate aquifer disposition and their characterization. Entire mappable area of the country of around 25 lakh sq. km, has been mapped under the scheme and management plans  have  been  shared  with  the  respective  State  governments  for  taking  up  suitable  field interventions.  The  plans  comprise  of  recommendations  for  both  demand  and  supply  side measures.

(c) Realizing the significance of holistic and sustainable development of water resources in the country, Ministry of Water Resources had formulated the National Water Policy (NWP) in 1987 itself which was subsequently reviewed and updated in 2002 and 2012. From the ground water perspective, the NWP, 2012, inter-alia, calls for rainwater harvesting and conservation of water, mapping the aquifers of the country, proper regulation of extraction by setting up regulatory authorities and integrated development of surface and ground water. The NWP, 2012 also flags the need for adopting river basin based planning approach and scientific distribution of water based on precise and transparent hydrological data.

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