Lok Sabha Question No. 1818 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-30
Subject: Storage Capacity for Rainfall
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: A.T. (NANA) PATIL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES,

## RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1818

## ANSWERED ON 30.7.2015

**Storage Capacity for Rainfall**

1818. 	SHRI A.T. NANA PATIL

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

(a) the average rainfall received, stored and lost every year in the country;

(b) the details of the measures taken to check the losses; Original notice of the question received in Hindi.

(c) the storage capacity required to hold water flowing down to sea;

(d) the details of the storage capacity created so far;

(e) whether management of annual rainfall satisfactory; and

(f) if so, the extent thereof and if not, the reasons therefor along with the steps taken in this direction?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION

(PROF. SANWAR LAL JAT)

(a) to (f) The annual normal rainfall in the country, as a whole, is about 1186.2 millimetre and the   average annual precipitation is about 4000 billion cubic meters (BCM). As per the assessment done by Central Water Commission, the average annual water availability in the country is 1869 BCM. The remaining water is lost to the atmosphere through evapotranspiration from barren lands, forests, natural vegetation, rainfed agriculture, natural ponds and lakes etc. It is estimated that owing to topographic, hydrological and other constraints, the utilizable water is 1123 BCM which comprises of 690 BCM of surface water and 433 BCM of replenishable ground water resources.

During the XI Plan, the Working Group (of the then Planning Commission) on Water Resources assessed the storage requirement as 450 BCM in order to utilize surface water resource of 690 BCM.

As per the latest assessment made by the Central Water Commission in 2010, the status of creation of live storage capacity in the countryis as under:-

Contd…p/2

//2//

|    |                                                                                                                                                        |   In BCM |
|----|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------|
| 1  | Total live storage capacity of the completed projects                                                                                                  |  253.388 |
| 2  | Total live storage capacity of projects under  Construction by various State Governments                                                               |   50.959 |
| 3  | Total live storage capacity of projects under  consideration for construction by various State Governments                                             |      104 |
|    | Total                                                                                                                                                  |  408.347 |
| 4  | Likely loss of reservoir capacity by 2050 due to silting of reservoirs (Estimated by the Working Group on Major and Medium Irrigation for the XI Plan) |    53.00 |
| 5  | Balance live storage capacity that would be available                                                                                                  |   355.00 |

Thus, new storage projects with storage capacity of about 95 BCM (i.e. 450 BCM-355 BCM) are required to be identified.

With a view to augmenting the water resources for utilization for various purposes, several measures are undertaken by the respective State Governments which, inter-alia, include conservation of water resources in reservoirs, traditional water bodies, rain water harvesting and artificial recharge of ground water. Central Government provides technical and financial assistance to the State Governments in this regard through various schemes and programmes viz. Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP); Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies etc.

Central Ground Water Board, under this Ministry has prepared a conceptual document entitled “Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Ground Water in India” during the year 2013, which envisages construction of different types of Artificial Recharge and Rainwater Harvesting structures in the country in an area of 9,41,541 square kilometer by harnessing 85,565 million cubic metre of surplus monsoon runoff to augment ground water resources. The Master Plan has been circulated to all State Governments including Delhi for implementation.

Further, CGWB has undertaken the Demonstrative Rain Water Harvesting and Artificial Recharge Projects during XI Plan under the Scheme of “Ground Water Management & Regulation”, in priority areas. The project aimed at facilitating State Governments for replicating recharge projects in similar hydrogeological environment. During XI Plan, 133 Demonstrative Rain Water Harvesting and Artificial Recharge Projects were sanctioned for construction of 1661 rain water harvesting and recharge structures in 22 States.

Government of India has also launched the National Water Mission with the objective of ‘conservation of water, minimizing wastage and ensuring its more equitable distribution both across and within States through integrated water resources development and management’.

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