Lok Sabha Question No. 1933 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-31
Subject: Water Harvesting Public Participation Campaign
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Dr. Sambit Patra

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1933

## ANSWERED ON 31.07.2025

## WATER HARVESTING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION CAMPAIGN

## †1933. DR. SAMBIT PATRA

## Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has developed any mechanism for constantly monitoring of groundwater level in the country and if so, the details thereof;

(b) the number of districts of the country declared as dark zones by the Government from the groundwater level  point  of  view  and  the  details  of  the  action  plan  formulated  to  increase  groundwater  level  in  these districts;

(c) whether the Government has initiated a water harvesting public participation campaign for groundwater recharging and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government is implementing any action plan for wide publicity of water harvesting public participation campaign and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) whether the Government has developed any coordination mechanism between the Centre and the States for  successful  implementation  of  water  harvesting  public  participation  campaign  and  if  so,  the  details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) monitors groundwater levels four times every year through a network of around 27,000 Monitoring Wells spread across the country. The results are brought out in the form  of  Bulletins  after  each  round  of  monitoring  and  also  as  ground  water  yearbook,  once  in  a  year. Additionally,  Digital  Water  Level  Recorders  (DWLRs)  equipped  with  telemetry  system,  have  also  been installed  throughout  the  country  by  this  Ministry,  which  help  in  real  time  monitoring  and  analysis  of ground water data.

(b) Categorization  of  Assessment  Units  (which  are  generally  Blocks/Tehsils/Talukas)  in  to  'OverExploited (OE)', 'Critical', 'Semi-Critical', 'Safe' etc. is done as per the Dynamic Groundwater Resources Assessment of the country, being annually carried out by CGWB, in co-ordination with state governments. As per the assessment done in 2024, there are 751 Over-Exploited (formerly known as Dark Zones) AUs in the country where the 'Stage of Ground Water Extraction' is over 100%.

Despite Water being a State subject, the Union government has taken several important initiatives for  sustainable  management  of  ground  water  resources  in  the  country,  with  special  focus  on  improving ground water levels in water stressed areas.

Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA), the flagship campaign of the M/o Jal Shakti, wherein all the efforts and funds under various schemes and projects are converged and channelized to deliver water conservation and ground water recharge works on the ground, is being implemented in the country since 2019. Currently, JSA  2025  is  underway  with  special  focus  on  over-exploited  and  critical  areas.  Furthermore,  MoJS  are implementing the scheme, Atal Bhujal Yojana, targeting 80 water-stressed districts of the country, focusing on the theme of community led sustainable ground water management by addressing demand side issues.

(c) To  further  strengthen  the  momentum  of  Jal  Shakti  Abhiyan,  Jal  Sanchay  Jan  Bhagidari  (JSJB ) :  A Community-Driven Path to Water Sustainability in India has been launched by the Hon'ble Prime Minister in  September  2024,  with  a  vision  to  make  rain  water  harvesting  a  mass  movement  in  the  country.  By promoting  community  ownership  and  responsibility,  the  initiative  seeks  to  develop  cost-effective,  local solutions tailored to specific water challenges across different regions.

(d) The Government has implemented extensive measures to promote the JSJB initiative in partnership with State Governments and local authorities to ensure its widespread reach and awareness. The initiative aims  at  forging  partnership  with  Industry,  NGOs,  Trusts,  Civil  Societies  and  educational  institutions  to engage the broader community effectively. Several State Governments have been proactively participating in the campaigns. Awareness campaigns are conducted through social media platforms, public events and workshops. Jal Shakti Kendras (JSKs) set up in each district are also helping in expanding the outreach by disseminating  ground  water  recharge  related  information.  The  awareness  efforts  also  include  fostering active community participation through Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). To facilitate easy understanding of recharge and rain water harvesting methods among the masses, a compilation of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and standard designs for artificial recharge structures has been brought out and shared with all stakeholders.

(e) The  National  Water  Mission  (NWM)  under  the  MoJS  is  the  Nodal  Central  agency  driving  the campaign,  which  provides  policy  guidance  and  key  technical  support  to  the  state  governments,  District administrations, NGOs, co-operatives and other participating organizations. Regular review meetings with state  officials  are  being  held  for  monitoring  progress  and  addressing  challenges.  Forums  like  'Dialogue with DMs' have been established for multi-faceted interaction. Best practices and successful models are regularly documented and shared with states/district administrations for replication and scaling up. The Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari Dashboard,  a digital  platform  has  been  created  to  serve  as  a  collective  database which will help in effective monitoring as well. Further, Nodal Officers from the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and the Central Water Commission (CWC) have been deputed to interact with the district administration and state line departments so as to ensure technical support, capacity building and regular monitoring at the grassroots level.

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