Lok Sabha Question No. 4508 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-27
Subject: Extension of Atal Bhujal Yojana in Andhra Pradesh
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri G M Harish Balayogi

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4508

ANSWERED ON 27.03.2025

## EXTENSION OF ATAL BHUJAL YOJANA IN ANDHRA PRADESH

## 4508. SHRI G M HARISH BALAYOGI

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has any plan to extend the Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABY) in Andhra Pradesh; (b) if so, the details of the gram panchayats/administrative blocks/talukas and the districts identified for the implementation  of  the  said  scheme  along  with  the  proposed  timeline  of  its  implementation  in  Andhra Pradesh; (c) the details of the funds allocated for the implementation of the said scheme in Andhra Pradesh; (d) whether the Government proposes to restructure the said scheme as a Centrally Sponsored scheme and if so, the details thereof indicating the proposed cost-sharing ratio between the Centre and the State; (e) whether the Government has assessed the groundwater depletion trends in Andhra Pradesh and if so, the details thereof along with the specific action plan formulated for Andhra Pradesh to address the same; and (f)  whether  the  Government  has  any  plan  to  integrate  technological  interventions  such  as  sensor-based monitoring, GIS mapping and AI-based groundwater management solutions in Andhra Pradesh and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a)  to  (d) Atal  Bhujal  Yojana  is  a  pilot  project  for  participatory  ground  water  management  with  a  fixed duration & outlay. Given the positive impact of Atal Bhujal Yojana, this Department has planned its second phase, however, no decision has been taken in this regard.

(e) Central Ground Water Board ( CGWB )  monitors groundwater levels throughout the country including the state of Andhra Pradesh, four times in every year.In order to assess the long term fluctuation in ground water level in Andhra Pradesh, the water level data collected by CGWB during November 2024 has been compared with the decadal mean of November (2014-2023). Such analysis of water level data indicates that about 66.9% of the wells monitored have registered rise in ground water levels. District-wise Decadal Water Level Fluctuation with Mean (Post-Monsoon 2014 to 2023) and Post-monsoon 2024 in respect of Andhra Pradesh is at Annexure .

Water  being  a  State  subject,  the  responsibility  of  addressing  the  ground  water  related  issues  lies primarily with the concerned 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 and other central ministries for improvement of ground water resources of the country, including for the state of Andhra Pradesh, are given below:-

- (i) The Government is implementing Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) in the country since 2019 which is a  mission  mode  and  time  bound  programme  for  harvesting  the  rainfall  and  taking  up  water conservation activities. Currently, JSA 2025 has been launched in the country, with a special focus on Over-exploited, Critical and Semi-critical districts (OCS districts). 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.
- (ii) 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, including 1.41 lakh sq. km area of Andhra Pradesh, has been mapped  under  the  scheme  and  management  plans  have  been  shared  with  the  respective State/District administrations for implementation.
- (iii) Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater- 2020 has been prepared by the CGWB for the  entire  country,  including  Andhra  Pradesh  and  shared  with  States/UTs  providing  a  broad outline  for  construction  of  around  1.42  crore  rain  water  harvesting  and  artificial  recharge structures  in  the  country  to  harness  185  BCM  (Billion  cubic  meter)  of  water.  For  Andhra Pradesh, the Masterplan recommends around 3.16 lakh structures.
- (iv) Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare (DA & FW), GoI, is implementing Per Drop More Crop Scheme in the country, including Andhra Pradesh, 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.  As  per  available information, an area of 3.1 lakh Ha has been brought under micro irrigation in Andhra Pradesh during 2019 to 2024.
- (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,  including  Andhra Pradesh for the purpose of increasing water storage and boosting ground water recharge. As an outcome nearly 69,000 Amrit Sarovars have been constructed/rejuvenated in the country, with 2,154 in Andhra Pradesh.
- (vi) M/o Jal Shakti is promoting conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater and to reduce over-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.

(f) Realizing  the  significance  of  having  high  frequency  data  on  ground  water  on  real  time  basis,  this Ministry  has  taken  up  the  process  of  installing  Digital  Water  Level  Recorders  (DWLRs)  with  telemetry systems throughout the country under its various schemes and projects like Ground Water Management & Regulation  (GWM &R) Scheme, National Hydrology Project (NHP) etc. The state  governments are also funded for carrying out the said activity under NHP. So far, around 783 DWLRs have been installed in the state  of  Andhra Pradesh under the above said schemes, which transmit water level data directly from the field to a central server at high frequency, which facilitates near-real-time access to this data.

Additionally,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  the  complex  exercise  of  groundwater  resource assessments  at  regular  intervals,  a  web-based  application  named  India  Groundwater  Resource  Estimation System (INGRES), a GIS based platform, has been deployed by CGWB for online data entry, computation and generation of outputs of groundwater resources.

## ANNEXURE

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (e)  OF  UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  4508  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON 27.03.2025 REGARDING 'EXTENSION OF ATAL BHUJAL YOJANA IN ANDHRA PRADESH'.

## Categorization of changes in water level between Mean of Post-monsoon 2014 to 2023 with post-monsoon 2024

| Sr. No.   | District Name               | No of analysed   |         |       |         |       |    |      | No./Percentage of wells showing fluctuation   | No./Percentage of wells showing fluctuation   | No./Percentage of wells showing fluctuation   | No./Percentage of wells showing fluctuation   | No./Percentage of wells showing fluctuation   | No./Percentage of wells showing fluctuation   | No./Percentage of wells showing fluctuation   | No./Percentage of wells showing fluctuation   | No./Percentage of wells showing fluctuation   | No./Percentage of wells showing fluctuation   |
|-----------|-----------------------------|------------------|---------|-------|---------|-------|----|------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
|           |                             | wells            |         |       | Rise    | Rise  | >  | >    | 0 to                                          | 0 to                                          | Fall 2 to 4                                   | Fall 2 to 4                                   | > 4                                           | > 4                                           | Rise                                          | Rise                                          | Fall                                          | Fall                                          |
|           |                             |                  | 0 to No | 2 %   | 2 to No | 4 %   | No | 4 %  | No                                            | 2 %                                           | No                                            | %                                             | No                                            | %                                             | No                                            | %                                             | No.                                           | %                                             |
| 1         | Alluri Sitharama Raju       | 35               | 29      | 82.9  | 1       | 2.9   | 1  | 2.9  | 4                                             | 11.4                                          | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 31                                            | 88.6                                          | 4                                             | 11.4                                          |
| 2         | Anakapalli                  | 20               | 10      | 50    | 2       | 10    | 0  | 0    | 8                                             | 40                                            | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 12                                            | 60.0                                          | 8                                             | 40.0                                          |
| 3         | Ananthapuramu               | 8                | 5       | 62.5  | 3       | 37.5  | 0  | 0    | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 8                                             | 100.0                                         | 0                                             | 0.0                                           |
| 4         | Annamayya                   | 14               | 4       | 28.6  | 3       | 21.4  | 1  | 7.1  | 5                                             | 35.7                                          | 0                                             | 0                                             | 1                                             | 7.1                                           | 8                                             | 57.1                                          | 6                                             | 42.9                                          |
| 5         | Bapatla                     | 21               | 4       | 19    | 0       | 0     | 1  | 4.8  | 16                                            | 76.2                                          | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 5                                             | 23.8                                          | 16                                            | 76.2                                          |
| 6         | Chittoor                    | 15               | 8       | 53.3  | 2       | 13.3  | 0  | 0    | 4                                             | 26.7                                          | 1                                             | 6.7                                           | 0                                             | 0                                             | 10                                            | 66.7                                          | 5                                             | 33.3                                          |
| 7         | Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema | 29               | 29      | 100   | 0       | 0     | 0  | 0    | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 29                                            | 100.0                                         | 0                                             | 0.0                                           |
| 8         | East Godavari               | 20               | 16      | 80    | 2       | 10    | 0  | 0    | 2                                             | 10                                            | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 18                                            | 90.0                                          | 2                                             | 10.0                                          |
| 9         | Eluru                       | 26               | 5       | 19.2  | 1       | 3.8   | 1  | 3.8  | 18                                            | 69.2                                          | 1                                             | 3.8                                           | 0                                             | 0                                             | 7                                             | 26.9                                          | 19                                            | 73.1                                          |
| 10        | Guntur                      | 23               | 6       | 26.1  | 1       | 4.3   | 0  | 0    | 15                                            | 65.2                                          | 1                                             | 4.3                                           | 0                                             | 0                                             | 7                                             | 30.4                                          | 16                                            | 69.6                                          |
| 11        | Kakinada                    | 18               | 15      | 83.3  | 1       | 5.6   | 0  | 0    | 1                                             | 5.6                                           | 1                                             | 5.6                                           | 0                                             | 0                                             | 16                                            | 88.9                                          | 2                                             | 11.1                                          |
| 12        | Krishna                     | 25               | 5       | 20    | 0       | 0     | 0  | 0    | 20                                            | 80                                            | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 5                                             | 20.0                                          | 20                                            | 80.0                                          |
| 13        | Kurnool                     | 22               | 11      | 50    | 4       | 18.2  | 2  | 9.1  | 5                                             | 22.7                                          | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 17                                            | 77.3                                          | 5                                             | 22.7                                          |
| 14        | Nandyal                     | 17               | 10      | 58.8  | 3       | 17.6  | 1  | 5.9  | 3                                             | 17.6                                          | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 14                                            | 82.4                                          | 3                                             | 17.6                                          |
| 15        | Ntr                         | 19               | 10      | 52.6  | 0       | 0     | 0  | 0    | 9                                             | 47.4                                          | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 10                                            | 52.6                                          | 9                                             | 47.4                                          |
| 16        | Palnadu                     | 39               | 26      | 66.7  | 5       | 12.8  | 1  | 2.6  | 4                                             | 10.3                                          | 2                                             | 5.1                                           | 1                                             | 2.6                                           | 32                                            | 82.1                                          | 7                                             | 17.9                                          |
| 17        | Parvathipuram Manyam        | 19               | 3       | 15.8  | 1       | 5.3   | 0  | 0    | 10                                            | 52.6                                          | 3                                             | 15.8                                          | 2                                             | 10.5                                          | 4                                             | 21.1                                          | 15                                            | 78.9                                          |
| 18        | Prakasam                    | 24               | 9       | 37.5  | 6       | 25    | 9  | 37.5 | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 24 100.0                                      |                                               | 0                                             | 0.0                                           |
| 19        | Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore | 36               | 20      | 55.6  | 9       | 25    | 1  | 2.8  | 5                                             | 13.9                                          | 0                                             | 0                                             | 1                                             | 2.8                                           | 30                                            | 83.3                                          | 6                                             | 16.7                                          |
| 20        | Sri Sathya Sai              | 24               | 7       | 29.2  | 7       | 29.2  | 8  | 33.3 | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 2                                             | 8.3                                           | 22                                            | 91.7                                          | 2                                             | 8.3                                           |
| 21        | Srikakulam                  | 31               | 7       | 22.6  | 2       | 6.5   | 0  | 0    | 15                                            | 48.4                                          | 6                                             | 19.4                                          | 1                                             | 3.2                                           | 9                                             | 29.0                                          | 22                                            | 71.0                                          |
| 22        |                             |                  |         | 66.7  | 4       |       | 2  | 8.3  |                                               | 8.3                                           | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 22                                            | 91.7                                          | 2                                             |                                               |
|           | Tirupati                    | 24               | 16      |       |         | 16.7  |    |      | 2                                             |                                               |                                               |                                               |                                               |                                               |                                               |                                               |                                               | 8.3                                           |
| 23        | Visakhapatnam               | 15               | 9       | 60    | 0       | 0     | 1  | 6.7  | 5                                             | 33.3                                          | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 10                                            | 66.7                                          | 5                                             | 33.3                                          |
| 24        | Vizianagaram                | 28               | 11      | 39.3  | 1       | 3.6   | 0  | 0    | 14                                            | 50                                            | 2                                             | 7.1                                           | 0                                             | 0                                             | 12                                            | 42.9                                          | 16                                            | 57.1                                          |
| 25        | West Godavari               | 17               | 15      | 88.2  | 0       | 0     | 0  | 0    | 2                                             | 11.8                                          | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 0                                             | 15                                            | 88.2                                          | 2                                             | 11.8                                          |
| 26        | Total                       | 586              | 297     | 50.68 | 63      | 10.75 | 32 | 5.46 | 168                                           | 28.67                                         | 17                                            | 2.9                                           | 9                                             |                                               |                                               | 66.9                                          | 194                                           | 33.1                                          |
|           | Y.S.R.                      | 17               | 7       | 41.2  | 5       | 29.4  | 3  | 17.6 | 1                                             | 5.9                                           | 0                                             | 0                                             | 1                                             | 5.9 1.54                                      | 15 392                                        | 88.2                                          | 2                                             | 11.8                                          |

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