Lok Sabha Question No. 4391 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-27
Subject: National Mission for Clean Ganga
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab, Shri Yogender Chandolia, Shri Damodar Agrawal, Dr. Hemant Vishnu Savara, Smt. Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, Dr. Manna Lal Rawat, Shri Ramesh Awasthi, Shri Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor, Smt. Shobhanaben Mahendrasinh Baraiya, Smt. Smita Uday Wagh, Shri Pradeep Kumar Singh, Shri Anurag Sharma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4391

ANSWERED ON 27.03.2025

## NATIONAL MISSION FOR CLEAN GANGA

4391.

DR. HEMANT VISHNU SAVARA

SHRI PRADEEP KUMAR SINGH

SMT. SMITA UDAY WAGH

DR. MANNA LAL RAWAT

SMT. MALA RAJYA LAXMI SHAH

SHRI YOGENDER CHANDOLIA

SHRI RAMESH AWASTHI

SHRI JASWANTSINH SUMANBHAI BHABHOR

SHRI DAMODAR AGRAWAL

SMT. SHOBHANABEN MAHENDRASINH BARAIYA

SHRI ANURAG SHARMA

SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of projects completed in 2024 and the cumulative total number of projects completed till 2024  under  the  National  Mission  for  Clean  Ganga  (NMCG)  along  with  the  number  of  new  projects approved in 2024 under NMCG and their financial costs;
- (b) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to address the sewage treatment in 2024 and the total number of sewage treatment projects undertaken in the Ganga Basin since the inception of NMCG;
- (c) the number of beneficiaries under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in Gujarat;
- (d) whether the said mission has been specifically expanded in the Tribal and Scheduled Caste dominated districts in Gujarat and if so, the details thereof;
- (e)  whether  the  Government  has  launched  any  special  scheme  to  promote  rainwater  harvesting  and groundwater recharge; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof indicating the areas of Gujarat where the same has been implemented?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) & (b) Under the National Mission for Clean Ganga, from January to December 2024, a total of 27 projects  were  completed,  bringing  the  cumulative  total  to  305  Projects. Additionally,  39  projects  have been sanctioned at a cost of ₹ 2,056 crore in 2024. For pollution abatement, 12 sewage treatment projects with a capacity of 203.55 MLD have been approved in 2024 bringing the cumulative total of 206 sewage treatment projects with a capacity of 6,335 MLD, since the launch of the Namami Gange Programme.

(c) & (d) Government of India is committed to make provision for safe & potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on a regular & long-term basis to all rural households in the country, including those in the State of Gujarat. As on 23.03.2025, out of 19.36 Crore rural households in the  country,  more  than  15.54  Crore  (80%)  households  are  reported  to  have  tap  water  supply  in  their homes.

Similarly,  in  the  State  of  Gujarat,  at  the  start  of  the  mission  only  65.16  lakh  (71.46%)  rural households were reported to have tap water connections. In October, 2022, by providing the remaining 26.02  lakh  rural  households  with  tap  connections,  the  State  declared  itself  as  Har  Ghar  Jal  State  i.e. having  100%  rural  household  with  tap  water  including  all  the  households  in  SC  and  ST  dominated Habitations.

(e) & (f) Government of India has initiated 'Jal Shakti Abhiyan' (JSA) in 1,592 blocks of 256 waterstressed districts of the country during July to November 2019 to promote water conservation and water resource  management  by  focusing  on  water  conservation  &  rainwater  harvesting,  renovation  of traditional  and  other  water  bodies/  tanks,  reuse  &  recharge  of  bore  wells.  Further,  National  Water Mission (NWM) under the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti started the 'Catch The Rain' (CTR) Campaign in February 2020. Ministry of Jal Shakti in 2021 took up the 'Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain' (JSA: CTR) subsuming Catch the Rain campaign  which  covered  rural  and  urban  areas  of  all  districts  (all  blocks  and  municipalities)  of  the country including all the districts of Gujarat.  JSA: CTR has become an annual feature since 2021.

Recently, the sixth edition of JSA: CTR has been launched on 22.03.2025 for implementation till 30.11.2025. Water conservation and Rainwater harvesting is one of the focused interventions of the said campaign. Building on this vision, the Ministry launched the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) initiative on  September  6,  2024,  in  Surat,  Gujarat  focuses  on  scientific  yet  cost-effective  water  conservation solutions,  leveraging  both  modern  and  traditional  methods  to  construct  one  million  artificial  recharge structures across rural and urban India, including all the districts of Gujarat, by 31st May, 2025. As on 24.03.2025,  about  8.62  lakh  recharge  structures  have  been  onboarded  under  the  Jal  Sanchay  Jan Bhagidari(JSJB)  initiative, with 48,624 structures in Gujarat alone.

In order to promote rainwater harvesting, the following additional steps have also been taken:

- i. Project  Guidelines:  As  per  Ministry  of  Jal  Shakti  (MoJS)  guidelines  dated  24.09.2020  and amendment  thereof  dated  29.03.2023,  Industry,  Infrastructure  and  Mining  must  submit rainwater  harvesting  plans  as  part  of  project  premises  for  obtaining  NOC  from  Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) for GW extraction.

- ii. Building  Bye-laws:  The  Ministry  of  Housing  &  Urban  Affairs'  Model  Building  Bye-laws (2016) mandate rainwater harvesting for buildings with a plot size of 100 sq.m or more, and 35 States have adopted these provisions.

The following steps have been taken to promote groundwater recharge in the country including Gujarat:

- i. National  Aquifer  Mapping  (NAQUIM):  The  Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB)  has aquifers  mapped  an  area  of  about  25  Lakh  sq.  km  across  India,  including  Gujarat,  and developed  management  plans  with  water  conservation  measures.  They  also  use  advanced technologies like heli-borne surveys to address water crises and improve aquifer management.
- ii. Artificial Recharge Master Plan: A 2020 Master Plan for artificial recharge aims to construct 1.42 crore structures across India, including 13 lakh in Gujarat, to harness monsoon rainfall.
- iii. Groundwater  Legislation:  A  model  bill  has  been  circulated  to  States/UTs  to  regulate groundwater  development  and  promote  rainwater  harvesting,  with  21  States/UTs  adopting legislation.
- iv. Atal  Bhujal  Yojana:  Atal  Bhujal  Yojana  is  being  implemented  in  the  state  of  Gujarat  in Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Banaskantha, Patan and Kutch Districts, covering 36 talukas by identifying 2,236 villages of 1,873 Gram Panchayats. The Nodal agency for the project is Gujarat Water Resources and Development  Corporation,  Narmada  Water Resources, Water Supply and Kalpsar Department, Govt. of Gujarat.

*****