Lok Sabha Question No. 201 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-01-29
Subject: Utilisation of Riverine Water
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Rahul Kaswan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 201

ANSWERED ON 29.01.2026

## UTILISATION OF RIVERINE WATER

## †201.   SHRI RAHUL KASWAN:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) the quantum of riverine water used for various purposes in the country, particularly in Rajasthan;

(b) the details of the plans/programmes formulated for the optimum utilisation of riverine water;

(c) whether the Government has conducted any survey to assess the updated status of water resources in the country, especially in Churu, Bikaner, Jhunjhunu, Sikar and Nagaur Lok Sabha Constituencies and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government proposes to implement the Yamuna Water Agreement in Rajasthan and if so, the details thereof;

(e) the current status of progress of the said agreement, the expected timeline fixed for its commencement, the areas of Churu district likely to benefit therefrom; and

(f) the total expenditure likely to be incurred and the respective share borne by the Union Government and the State Government of Rajasthan?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) & (b) 'Water' being a State subject, steps for augmentation, conservation and efficient management and utilization of water resources are primarily undertaken by the respective State Governments. In order to supplement  the  efforts  of  the  State  Governments,  Central  Government  provides  technical  and  financial assistance to them through various schemes and programmes.

As per National Register of specified Dams 2025 of National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), total Gross Storage Capacity of 6628 specified Dams of the country is 330.022 BCM and total Live Storage Capacity  of  these  specified  Dams  is  265.544  BCM.  The  State  of  Rajasthan  has  315  specified  Dams  on various rivers. Total Gross Storage Capacity of these specified Dams of Rajasthan is 12.039 BCM and Live Storage Capacity of these specified Dams is 9.659 BCM. The storage of these specified Dams is used for various purposes.

As per the report of National Commission for Integrated Water Resource Development (NCIWRD1999), total water requirement of the country for different uses for high demand scenario for the years 2025 and 2050 has been assessed as 843 BCM and 1180 BCM respectively is given below:

| S.N   | Uses                | Year 2025 (for high demand) (in BCM)   | Year 2050 (for high demand) (in BCM)   |
|-------|---------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| 1     | Surface water       |                                        |                                        |
| 2     | Irrigation          | 366                                    | 463                                    |
| 3     | Domestic            | 36                                     | 65                                     |
| 4     | Industries          | 47                                     | 57                                     |
| 5     | Power               | 26                                     | 56                                     |
| 6     | Inland Navigation   | 10                                     | 15                                     |
| 7     | Environment Ecology | - 10                                   | 20                                     |
| 8     | Evaporation losses  | 50                                     | 76                                     |
|       | Total               | 545                                    | 752                                    |
|       | Ground water        |                                        |                                        |
| 1     | Irrigation          | 245                                    | 344                                    |
| 2     | Domestic            | 26                                     | 46                                     |
| 3     | Industries          | 20                                     | 24                                     |
| 4     | Power               | 7                                      | 14                                     |
|       | Total               | 298                                    | 428                                    |
|       | Grand total         | 843                                    | 1180                                   |

Government  of  India  formulated  National  Perspective  Plan  (NPP)  in  year,  1980  for  Inter-Basin Water  Transfer  and  30  Interlinking  of  Rivers  (ILR)  Projects  have  been  identified  under  NPP  (16  link projects  under  Peninsular  component  and  14  link  projects  under  Himalayan  component).  These  link projects have been designed judicially by considering all engineering parameters for optimum utilization of water.  National  Water  Development  Agency  (NWDA)  has  been  entrusted  with  work  of  Interlinking  of Rivers (ILR).  Out of these 30 link projects, 3 link projects pertain to Rajasthan viz; Yamuna-Rajasthan link project, Rajasthan -Sabarmati link project and Modified Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal link project.

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) was launched during the year 2015-16, with an aim  to  enhance  physical  access  of  water  on  farm  and  expand  cultivable  area  under  assured  irrigation, improve on-farm water use efficiency, introduce sustainable water conservation practices, etc. Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) component of PMKSY is mainly for creation of irrigation potential through  expeditious  completion  of  major  and  medium  irrigation  projects.  Command  Area  Development component deals with on farm irrigation development and participatory irrigation management.

118 priority Projects of the country are included in PMKSY-AIBP from 2016-17 to 2024-25, out of which 70 Projects were completed upto December 2025. Three priority project of Rajasthan State, namely (i) Modernization of Gang Canal Project, (ii) Narmada Canal project and (iii) Parwan Multipurpose Project are  included  in  PMKSY-AIBP.   Further,  Five  more  Projects  are  also  funded  through  PMKSY-AIBP  (i) RenukaJi  National  Project  (ii)  Lakhwar  National  Project  (iii)  North  Koel  National  Project  (iv)  Shahpur Kandi Dam National Project (v) Rajasthan Feeder &Sirhind Feeder (Special package ).

Under Jal Jeevan Mission, Government of India assists States by providing financial and technical assistance including Rajasthan to provide functional household tap connection to all rural households.

(c) The  average  annual  water  availability  of  any  region  or  country  is  largely  dependent  upon  hydrometeorological and geological factors. As per study titled 'Assessment of Water Resources of India- 2024'

conducted by Central Water Commission, the average annual water resources in river basins of the country has been assessed as about 2116 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM).

Dynamic Ground Water Resources of the country are being assessed every year from 2022 jointly by Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB)  and  State  Governments.  For  the  assessment  year  2025,  the assessment has been completed for all the 36 States/ UTs including Churu, Bikaner, Jhunjhunu, Sikar and Nagaur districts of Rajasthan and the National Compilation on Dynamic Ground Water Resources of India, 2025 has been released.

Further,  as  per  the  2025  assessment,  the  total  Annual  Ground  Water  Recharge  for  the  country  is 448.52 Billion Cubic Meter (BCM) and the Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource is 407.75 BCM. The  groundwater  resource  status  (as  per  Assessment  2025)  for  the  districts  falling  in/covering  Churu, Bikaner, Jhunjhunu, Sikar and Nagaur Lok Sabha Constituencies (Rajasthan) is as under:

| Constituency                                          | Name District   |   of Total Ground Recharge (Ham) |   Annual Water Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource (Ham) |   Annual Ground Water Extraction (Ham) |
|-------------------------------------------------------|-----------------|----------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| Churu                                                 | Churu           |                          16810.6 |                                                       15541.6 |                                20029.4 |
| Churu                                                 | Hanumangarh     |                          22865.6 |                                                       20579   |                                13448.8 |
| Bikaner                                               | Bikaner         |                          31327.9 |                                                       28195.2 |                                39635   |
| Bikaner                                               | Ganganagar      |                          48103.3 |                                                       43293   |                                17478.4 |
| Jhunjhunu (Jhunjhunu and Part of Sikar) & Sikar (Part | Jhunjhunu       |                          24929.1 |                                                       22436.2 |                                51052.7 |
|                                                       | Sikar           |                          38570.4 |                                                       34927.4 |                                66832.1 |
| of Sikar and Part of Jaipur                           | Jaipur          |                          78890.8 |                                                       71377.8 |                               154900   |
| Nagaur                                                | Nagaur          |                          64740.2 |                                                       58659.2 |                               109831   |

(d) to (f) A  Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the basin States, namely Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and the National Capital Territory of Delhi regarding the allocation of the surface flow of the River Yamuna upto Okhla on 12.5.1994.  In order to implement the said MoU, Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) and Upper Yamuna River Committee (UYRC) were constituted in accordance with the provision of the MoU.  After creation of Uttaranchal State in 2000, the resolution was modified to include Uttaranchal (now Uttarakhand) in the Board.

UYRB has approved seasonal distributions of flows from various distribution points in its 42nd meeting. The water is distributed among the basin States in accordance with the distribution made by UYRB.

Further,  An  MoU  was  signed  by  Haryana  and  Rajasthan  for  preparation  of  Detailed  Project  Report (DPR) jointly by the Governments of Haryana and Rajasthan for project for transfer of Rajasthan Share of Yamuna  water  from  Hathnikund  to  Churu,  Sikar,  Jhunjhunu  and  other  Districts  of  Rajasthan  through underground pipelines.

As  per  the  above  MoU,  the  Phase-1  of  the  project  envisages  transfer  of  water  through  underground pipelines during July to October upto 577 MCM for drinking water supply and other requirements for Churu, Sikar, Jhunjhunu and other Districts of Rajasthan after utilisation of full capacity (24,000 cusec) of Western Yamuna Canal by Haryana including Delhi share at Hathnikund Barrage. Both States have formed Task Force for the preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR).