Lok Sabha Question No. 3194 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-08-04
Subject: Rainwater Storage
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV, RANGASWAMY DHRUVANARAYANA

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

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO. 3194 ANSWERED ON 04.08.2016

## RAINWATER STORAGE

## 3194. SHRI SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV SHRI R. DHRUVA NARAYANA

Will the Minister of WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION be pleased to state:

(a) the arrangements made for the harvesting of water during the rainy seasons for the purposes of drinking and irrigation in such rural areas where there is scarcity of water in the country;

(b) whether any assessment has been made with regard to storage of water through the said arrangements during the last three years; and

(c) if so, the volume of water in terms of cusecs stored during the said period and estimated to be stored during the current year?

## ANSWER

## THE    MINISTER    OF    STATE    FOR    WATER    RESOURCES,    RIVER    DEVELOPMENT  AND GANGA REJUVENATION (DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)

(a) Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB)  has prepared  a conceptual  document  entitled  "Master Plan for Artificial Recharge  to  Ground    Water  in  India", which  envisages construction    of  1.11  crore Artificial  Recharge  and  Rainwater  Harvesting  structures  in  the  Country  to  harness  85  BCM  (Billion Cubic   Metre)   of   water.  The   augmented   ground   water   resources   will   enhance   the availability  of water for  drinking,  domestic,  industrial  and  irrigation  purpose.   The  Master  Plan has been circulated  to all State Governments  for implementation.

Special    focus    is  given  through    Mahatma    Gandhi    National    Rural    Employment    Guarantee    Act (MGNREGA)  for  water  conservation  and  water  harvesting  structures  to  augment  ground  water.  In addition,    priority  has  been  given  for  construction  of  farm  ponds  in  the  year  2016-17  to  harvest rain water.

Further,  Department  of  Land  Resources,  Government    of    India    is    implementing    'Watershed Development  Component ' of  the  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchaai  Yojana  (PMKSY)  since  2015-16. One   of   the   major   activity   under   the   'Watershed    Development   Component',  inter-alia includes rainwater harvesting .

(b)  &  (c)  Data  on  quantum  of  rainwater  being  harvested  in  the  States/UTs  is  not  maintained  Centrally. However,  during  XI  Plan,  CGWB  has  taken  up  Demonstrative  Rain  Water  Harvesting  and    Artificial Recharge    projects in    22    States    of the Country,    under Central    Sector    Scheme  "Ground  Water Management  &  Regulation".   Under the scheme, 133 demonstrative  recharge projects were approved  for construction  of  recharge  structures  in  various  States/UTs  with  an  anticipated  annual  recharge  to  ground water at about 55.20 MCM (Million Cubic Metre).

The  impact  assessment   studies  carried   out  in  few  projects  has  verified  rise  in  ground  water levels, increase    in    sustainability    of    ground    water abstraction    structures and    enhancement    in  pumping duration.