Lok Sabha Question No. 1514 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-13
Subject: Groundwater Reserves in Tamil Nadu
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Robert Bruce C

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1514

ANSWERED ON 13.02.2025

## GROUNDWATER RESERVES IN TAMIL NADU

## 1514. SHRI ROBERT BRUCE C

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) the status of groundwater reserves in Tamil Nadu, district-wise;
- (b) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to mitigate the depletion of groundwater reserves;
- (c) the status of groundwater contamination in Tamil Nadu, district-wise; and
- (d) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to enhance the groundwater levels in Tirunelveli?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) The Dynamic Ground Water Resource Assessment is being carried out annually for the whole country, including the state of Tamil Nadu, jointly by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and the respective State Nodal departments. As per the latest assessment of 2024, in Tamil Nadu, the Total Annual Ground Water Recharge  is  21.51  Billion  Cubic  Metres  (BCM)  and  the  Annual  Extractable  Ground  Water  Resources  is 19.46  BCM.  Further,  the  total  Annual  Ground  Water  Extraction  for  all  purposes  (irrigation,  industrial, domestic etc.)  is 14.45 BCM. Accordingly, the Stage of Ground Water Extraction (SoE), which is a measure of  Annual Ground Water Extraction for all purposes over Annual Extractable Ground Water is arrived at 74.26%. The district wise details are given in Annexure- I .

(b) 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 mitigation of ground water depletion in the country, including Tamil Nadu, 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  2024  is  being  implemented  in  the  country  with  special focus on 151 water stressed districts of the country, including 10 such districts in Tamil Nadu. 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 1.05 lakh sq km of Tamil Nadu, has been mapped under  the  scheme  and  management  plans  have  been  shared  with  the  respective  State/District administrations.
- iii. Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater- 2020 has been prepared by the CGWB for the entire country, including Tamil Nadu, 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.
- iv. Department  of  Agriculture  &  Farmers'  Welfare  (DA  &  FW),  GoI,  is  implementing  Per  Drop More  Crop  Scheme  in  the  country,  including  Tamil  Nadu,  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.
- 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 Tamil Nadu. As an outcome nearly  69,000  Amrit  Sarovars  have  been  constructed/rejuvenated  in  the  country,  with 2,488 in Tamil Nadu.
- vi. Government  of  India  has  placed  a  major  thrust  on  construction  of  water  conservation  and rainwater harvesting in states, including in Tamil Nadu, through its schemes like MGNREGS and PMKSY-WDC.
- vii. Details  of  several  other  significant  initiatives  of  the  Government  of  India  for  improvement  of groundwater situation in the country can be seen through the link belowhttps://jalshakti-dowr.gov.in/document/steps-taken-by-the-central-government-to-control-waterdepletion-and-promote-rain-water-harvesting-conservation/
- viii. In  addition  to  the  above,  as  per  the  information  received  from  the  State  Government  of  Tamil Nadu,  the  Directorate  of  Town  Panchayats  is  actively  engaged  in  construction  of  rooftop rainwater  harvesting  structures  on  all  government,  commercial  and  residential  buildings  falling within the jurisdiction of around 90 town panchayats in Tamil Nadu and so far more than 19 lakh buildings  have  been  provided  with  such  structures.  Further,  under  various  state  government projects  like  Tamil  Nadu  Irrigated  Agriculture  Modernization  Project  (TNIAMP),  Mission  on Sustainable  Dryland  Agriculture  (MSDA),  Chief  Minister's  Dryland  Development  Mission (CMDDM) etc. large scale construction of farm ponds and check dams has been taken up across the state.

(c) Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) generates ground water quality data for the whole country as part of its ground water quality monitoring program and various scientific studies. As per the latest Annual Ground  Water  Quality  Report,  2024,  localized  occurrences  of  nitrate  beyond  permissible  limit  has  been reported  in  37.8%  of  the  samples  from  isolated  pockets  of  the  state  of  Tamil  Nadu.  Similarly,  Electrical

Conductivity (EC) has been found higher than the prescribed limit in 9.2% of samples and Fluoride has been detected  in  9.7%  of  samples  from  certain  isolated  pockets.  The  district-wise  details  of  these  major contaminants are provided in Annexure-II.

(d) Most parts of the country, including the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu has got covered under the above mentioned measures taken by the Government for improvement of ground water resources. To give a specific account,

-  In the Master Plan for artificial recharge prepared by CGWB, a total of 5,207 nos. of Rain water harvesting and Artificial recharge structures have been recommended for the Tirunelveli District. While implementing Jal Shakti Abhiyan, the masterplan recommendations have also been given due consideration apart from additional requirements observed in the field. Under JSA, it is to submit that construction of total 16,309 water conservation structures has been completed/ongoing in Tirunelveli district in the past 3 years.
-  Under NAQUIM programme, aquifer mapping of entire Vaippar river basin covering totally five districts  including  Tirunelveli  has  been  carried  out  by  CGWB  and  suitable  groundwater management plan,  containing recommendations  for both demand  and supply side interventions have been prepared and shared with State and District Authorities.
-  In the Dynamic Ground Water Resources of the country has been carried out in 2024, the Stage of Ground Water Extraction has been assessed at 43% for Tirunelveli district, indicating the District is under 'Safe' category.
-  As per the available data, under Mission Amrit Sarovar 70 water bodies/lakes/ponds have been constructed/rejuvenated in Tirunelveli District.
-  A  total  of  31  nos.  Digital  Water  level  Recorders  (DWLRs)  have  been  installed  in  Tirunelveli district to monitor the ground water level fluctuation and 2 nos. DWLRs with quality monitoring features have been installed for real time monitoring of ground water status.

***

## ANNEXURE-I

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1514 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 13.02.2025 REGARDING 'GROUNDWATER RESERVES IN TAMIL NADU'.

## District-wise Dynamic Ground Water Resources of Tamil Nadu, 2024

| S.No.   | Name of District   |   Total Annual Ground Water Recharge (in Ham) |   Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource (in Ham) |   Annual Ground Water Extraction (in Ham) | Stage of Ground Water Extraction (%)   |
|---------|--------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| 1       | Ariyalur           |                               37721.2         |                                     34339.8         |                            17926.6        | 52.20                                  |
| 2       | Chengalpattu       |                               62788           |                                     56583.8         |                            38638.2        | 68.28                                  |
| 3       | Chennai            |                               10217.9         |                                      9296.52        |                            11610          | 124.89                                 |
| 4       | Coimbatore         |                               60383.9         |                                     54421.9         |                            47180.5        | 86.69                                  |
| 5       | Cuddalore          |                              111825           |                                    100941           |                            65583.4        | 64.97                                  |
| 6       | Dharmapuri         |                               47811           |                                     43029.8         |                            41074.9        | 95.46                                  |
| 7       | Dindigul           |                               62166.2         |                                     56087.7         |                            62174.9        | 110.85                                 |
| 8       | Erode              |                               73605.9         |                                     66369.7         |                            54125          | 81.55                                  |
| 9       | Kallakurichchi     |                               67131.5         |                                     61034.4         |                            50907.8        | 83.41                                  |
| 10      | Kancheepuram       |                               57920.5         |                                     52255.1         |                            25835.8        | 49.44                                  |
| 11      | Kanniyakumari      |                               32933.5         |                                     29640.2         |                             4940.63       | 16.67                                  |
| 12      | Karur              |                               34016           |                                     30795.2         |                            29831.6        | 96.87                                  |
| 13      | Krishnagiri        |                               48402.8         |                                     43886.3         |                            42081          | 95.89                                  |
| 14      | Madurai            |                               78705.7         |                                     73366.7         |                            49119.7        | 66.95                                  |
| 15      | Mayiladuthurai     |                               39485.3         |                                     35536.8         |                            43906.6        | 123.55                                 |
| 16      | Nagapattinam       |                                   0           |                                         0           |                                0          | Saline                                 |
| 17      | Namakkal           |                               59780.7         |                                     54217           |                            60918.7        | 112.36                                 |
| 18      | Perambalur         |                               25321.1         |                                     22900           |                            25062.9        | 109.44                                 |
| 19      | Pudukkottai        |                               96945.9         |                                     87294.9         |                            44365.4        | 50.82                                  |
| 20      | Ramanathapuram     |                               48633.8         |                                     43770.4         |                             4522.44       | 10.33                                  |
| 21      | Ranipet            |                               28341           |                                     25830           |                            22927.8        | 88.76                                  |
| 22      | Salem              |                               52995.8         |                                     47696.2         |                            69990.3        | 146.74                                 |
| 23      | Sivagangai         |                               66038.6         |                                     59693.8         |                            17582.5        | 29.45                                  |
| 24      | Tenkasi            |                               58059.4         |                                     52384.3         |                            40164.4        | 76.67                                  |
| 25      | Thanjavur          |                              104762           |                                     94354.2         |                            95117.1        | 100.81                                 |
| 26      | The Nilgiris       |                               14741.3         |                                     13267.2         |                              902.35       | 6.80                                   |
| 27      | Theni              |                               31406.7         |                                     28266           |                            21636.1        | 76.54                                  |
| 28      | Thiruvarur         |                               23692.5         |                                     21323.3         |                            14338.4        | 67.24                                  |
| 29      | Thoothukudi        |                               68729.2         |                                     62013.4         |                            21614.2        | 34.85                                  |
| 30      | Tiruchirappalli    |                               80486.2         |                                     72493.1         |                            52991.3        | 73.10                                  |
| 31      | Tirunelveli        |                               83678.9         |                                     75788.6         |                            32748.5        | 43.21                                  |
| 32      | Tirupathur         |                               10037.1         |                                      9033.43        |                            12576          | 139.22                                 |
| 33      | Tiruppur           |                               62009.7         |                                     55944.2         |                            46783          | 83.62                                  |
| 34      | Tiruvallur         |                               86267.5         |                                     78655.6         |                            42933.8        | 54.58                                  |
| 35      | Tiruvannamalai     |                              121600           |                                    110146           |                            91275.1        | 82.87                                  |
| 36      | Vellore            |                               16999.7         |                                     15335.2         |                            18629.7        | 121.48                                 |
| 37      | Villupuram         |                              103095           |                                     93425.1         |                            81585.1        | 87.33                                  |
| 38      | Virudhunagar       |                               82588.4         |                                     74736.4         |                            41700.8        | 55.80                                  |
|         | Total(Ham)         |                                   2.15132e+06 |                                         1.94615e+06 |                                1.4453e+06 | 74.26                                  |
|         | Total(BCM)         |                                  21.51        |                                        19.46        |                               14.45       | 74.26                                  |

## ANNEXURE-II

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1514 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 13.02.2025 REGARDING 'GROUNDWATER RESERVES IN TAMIL NADU'.

District-wise Ground Water Quality Data for Tamil Nadu for year 2023

|    | *S.No.District   | Total no. samples analyzed   | of Percentage (%) of Samples above Permissible limits   | of Percentage (%) of Samples above Permissible limits   | of Percentage (%) of Samples above Permissible limits   |
|----|------------------|------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
|    | *S.No.District   | Total no. samples analyzed   | EC (%) (>3000 siemens/cm)                               | micro Fluoride (%) (>1.5 mg/l)                          | Nitrate (%) (>45 mg/l)                                  |
| 1  | Ariyalur         | 15                           | 0.0                                                     | 6.7                                                     | 53.3                                                    |
| 2  | Chennai          | 12                           | 8.3                                                     | 8.3                                                     | 25.0                                                    |
| 3  | Coimbatore       | 46                           | 6.5                                                     | 8.7                                                     | 43.5                                                    |
| 4  | Cuddalore        | 51                           | 0.0                                                     | 9.8                                                     | 33.3                                                    |
| 5  | Dharmapuri       | 28                           | 35.7                                                    | 7.1                                                     | 50.0                                                    |
| 6  | Dindigul         | 41                           | 9.8                                                     | 14.6                                                    | 46.3                                                    |
| 7  | Erode            | 83                           | 1.2                                                     | 8.4                                                     | 36.1                                                    |
| 8  | Kancheepuram     | 58                           | 3.4                                                     | 0.0                                                     | 24.1                                                    |
| 9  | Kanyakumari      | 17                           | 0.0                                                     | 0.0                                                     | 29.4                                                    |
| 10 | Karur            | 14                           | 0.0                                                     | 7.1                                                     | 42.9                                                    |
| 11 | Krishnagiri      | 33                           | 6.1                                                     | 33.3                                                    | 21.2                                                    |
| 12 | Madurai          | 35                           | 0.0                                                     | 5.7                                                     | 37.1                                                    |
| 13 | Nagapattinam     | 16                           | 6.3                                                     | 0.0                                                     | 56.3                                                    |
| 14 | Namakkal         | 44                           | 2.3                                                     | 9.1                                                     | 50.0                                                    |
| 15 | Nilgiris         | 7                            | 28.6                                                    | 28.6                                                    | 85.7                                                    |
| 16 | Perambalur       | 18                           | 27.8                                                    | 16.7                                                    | 83.3                                                    |
| 17 | Pudukkottai      | 30                           | 13.3                                                    | 6.7                                                     | 26.7                                                    |
| 18 | Ramanathapuram11 |                              | 18.2                                                    | 0.0                                                     | 18.2                                                    |
| 19 | Salem            | 39                           | 17.9                                                    | 5.1                                                     | 41.0                                                    |
| 20 | Sivaganga        | 3                            | 0.0                                                     | 0.0                                                     | 33.3                                                    |
| 21 | Thanjavur        | 14                           | 0.0                                                     | 0.0                                                     | 7.1                                                     |
| 22 | Theni            | 33                           | 6.1                                                     | 21.2                                                    | 42.4                                                    |
| 23 | Thiruvannamalai  | 36                           | 0.0                                                     | 0.0                                                     | 30.6                                                    |
| 24 | Tirunelveli      | 28                           | 21.4                                                    | 25.0                                                    | 46.4                                                    |
| 25 | Tiruvallur       | 49                           | 4.1                                                     | 0.0                                                     | 12.2                                                    |
| 26 | Tiruvarur        | 6                            | 16.7                                                    | 0.0                                                     | 33.3                                                    |
| 27 | Trichy           | 41                           | 9.8                                                     | 0.0                                                     | 34.1                                                    |
| 28 | Tuticorin        | 27                           | 18.5                                                    | 11.1                                                    | 29.6                                                    |
| 29 | Vellore          | 5                            | 20.0                                                    | 60.0                                                    | 80.0                                                    |
| 30 | Villupuram       | 48                           | 16.7                                                    | 8.3                                                     | 56.3                                                    |
| 31 | Virudhunagar     | 28                           | 35.7                                                    | 42.9                                                    | 39.3                                                    |
|    |                  | 916                          | 9.2                                                     | 9.7                                                     | 37.8                                                    |

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