(a) whether the Union Government has issued any directions to the State Governments to take necessary steps to preserve the ground water storage against its unlimited exploitation;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the States thereon;
(c) whether the Government is contemplating to introduce any special scheme to minimise the use of ground water;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the average rate of extraction of ground water for agriculture per day?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES(SHRI JAI PRAKASH NARAYAN YADAV)
(a) & (b) ‘Water’ being a State subject, it is primarily the responsibility
of the concerned State Governments to take necessary steps to check over-
exploitation of ground water. The Central Government, has however,
circulated a Model Bill to regulate and control the development of ground
water to all State Governments/Union Territories in 1970, which has been re-
circulated in 1992, 1996 and 2005 for adoption. So far, the States of
Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Union Territories of
Lakshadweep and Pondicherry have enacted and implemented the ground water
legislation on the lines of Model Bill. The States of Gujarat and
Maharashtra have passed the legislation but they have not enacted it. The
States/Union Territories of Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Punjab and
Chandigarh have intimated that they do not feel it necessary to enact
legislation in this regard. The States/Union Territories of Arunachal
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Manipur have not responded. Other States/Union
Territories have intimated that they have initiated action for enacting
legislation.
(c) The Ministry of Water Resources has no such proposal.
(d) Does not arise.
(e) The rate of extraction of ground water for agriculture varies from
place to place depending upon the cropping pattern, rainfall intensity,
etc. However, the net annual ground water withdrawal for irrigation is
estimated as 150 Billion Cubic Meters.