Lok Sabha Question No. 873 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-04-28
Subject: Misuse of Ground Water
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: PREM SINGH CHANDUMAJRA, MEKAPATI RAJAMOHAN REDDY, SUSHMITA DEV, JYOTIRADITYA MADHAVRAO SCINDIA, SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL, CH. MALLA REDDY, DEVJI MANSINGRAM PATEL, ANANDRAO  ADSUL

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 873

ANSWERED ON 28.04.2016

## MISUSE OF GROUND WATER

| †873.   | SHRI PREM SINGH CHANDUMAJRA   | SHRI M. RAJA MOHANREDDY      |
|---------|-------------------------------|------------------------------|
|         | KUMARI SUSHMITA DEV           | SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA |
|         | SHRIADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO | SHRI CH. MALLA REDDY         |
|         | SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL           | SHRIANANDRAO ADSUL           |

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

(a) whether the ground water is a rapidly diminishing resource in India;

(b) if so, whether the experts from the Government have visited a few States to ascertain the ground water situation, if so, the details and the findings thereof;

- (c) whether the Government has begun consultations with the States to frame a Bill to prevent the misuse of ground water, if so, the details thereof;

(d)  whether  management  of  water,  being  a  State  subject,  has  complicated  efforts  to  manage  water resources, if so, whether ground water exploitation and contamination has affected nearly 60 per cent of Indian districts; and

(e)  if  so,  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  save  the  ground  water  and  stop  the  misuse  of  ground water?

## ANSWER

## THE HON'BLE MINISTER OF STATE FOR WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION

(PROF. SANWAR LAL JAT)

(a)    At  present,  Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB)  and  State  Ground  Water  Organizations  jointly assess  replenishable  ground  water  resources  of  the  Country  periodically  with  block/taluka/firka  as  an assessment unit.  As per the latest assessment (as on March 2011), out of 6607 assessment units (Blocks/ Mandals/ Talukas/ Firkas/ Districts) in the Country, 1071 units falling in 16 States and 2 UTs have been categorized  as  'Over-Exploited'.    In  addition,  217  assessment  units  are  'Critical'  and  697  are  'SemiCritical' on the basis of declining ground water level and stage of ground water development/utilization.

(b) This  Ministry  has  deputed  technical  team  having  representatives  from  Central  Water  Commission (CWC), CGWB and other experts for on the spot study of water situation in Latur district of Maharashtra and  proposed  long  &  short  term  measures  including  excavation  of  bore  wells,  artificial  recharge  and rainwater harvesting and mass awareness programmes on water conservation and interlinking of Bhima and  Manjara  Rivers.    The  technical  team(s)  have  also  been  directed  for  on  the  spot  study  of  water situation in other drought affected/water scarce regions/areas of the Country.

(c)  A Model Bill - 2005 has been circulated to all the States/UTs to enable them to enact suitable ground water legislation for its regulation and development which includes provision of rain water harvesting. So far, 15 States/UTs have adopted and implemented the ground water legislation on the lines of Model bill.

(d)  The effective and sustainable management of ground water requires participation of all stakeholders including Central and State Governments.  As per the latest Assessment of the ground water resource (2011)  of  the  country  jointly  carried  out  by  Central  Ground  Water  Board  and  State  Ground  Water Department, the annual Replenishable Ground Water Resource of the country is 433 BCM, the net annual ground water availability is 398 BCM (Billion Cubic Metre). The annual ground water draft is 245 BCM and the Stage of Ground Water Development is 62%.

Ground  water  quality  data  generated  by  Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB)  indicates  that  ground water in various parts in Ten (10) States for Arsenic, Twenty (20) States for Fluoride, Twenty One (21) States  for  Nitrate,  Twenty  Six  (26)  States  and  Union  Territories  for  Iron,  and  Fifteen  (15)  States  for Heavy Metals such as Lead, Chromium and Cadmium have concentration higher than the norms, on the date of analysis, prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards.  However contamination in ground water is sporadic in nature.

(e)  Following steps have been taken to save and stop the misuse of the ground water :

- As  per Schedule-I  of  the  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Act (MGNREGA), the water conservation and water harvesting structures to augment ground water constitute a special focus area for MGNREGA works.
- During XI Plan, Demonstrative Artificial Recharge Projects were taken up under Central Sector Scheme 'Ground Water Management & Regulation'.  The scheme on Artificial Recharge project under Ground Water Management & Regulation Scheme has been discontinued during the XII Plan period.

- A conceptual document entitled 'Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Ground Water in India' has  been  prepared  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 sq.km  for  harnessing  surplus  monsoon  runoff  to  augment  ground  water  resources.  The  Master Plan has been circulated to all State Governments for implementation.
- Ministry of Urban Development in its Draft Model Building Bye-Laws (2015) has incorporated a Chapter on Provision of Rain Water Harvesting.
- Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) constituted under 'The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986' for the purpose of regulation and control of ground water development and management has issued advisory to States/ Union Territories and Ministry of Urban Development to take necessary measures for adopting rain water harvesting/ artificial recharge in all the Government buildings. Besides, 30 States/UTs have made rainwater harvesting mandatory by enacting laws / formulating rules & regulations / by including provisions in building bye-laws / through suitable Government Orders etc.
- CGWB has been organizing mass awareness programmes in the Country to promote rain water harvesting and artificial recharge to ground water.

*****