Question : Ground Water Depletion

(a) whether the Union Government had constituted a panel of secretaries to tackle the issue of ground water depletion;

(b) if so, the details of recommendations made by the panel in this regard;

(c) whether the Union Government has taken any steps in consultation with the State Government in the past few years to check the depletion of ground water; and

(d) if so, the details thereof and the extent to which the Union Government has succeeded in curbing depletion of ground water across the country?

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

(SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

(a) & (b) In order to ensure sustainable withdrawal and effective utilization of ground water and its management, an Inter Ministerial Committee has been constituted. Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, RD & GR is the convener of the Committee which consists of Secretaries of Ministries of Rural Development, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Panchayati Raj, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Environment & Forests and Climate Change.

The Committee had three meetings till date and discussed various issues related to groundwater depletion, low cost artificial recharge structures, protection of groundwater recharge zones, aquifer management plans, solar pumps and research and development initiatives in association with pioneer organizations / institutions in groundwater sector. As the tenure of the Committee is till December, 2018, the Committee is yet to give its final recommendations.

(c) & (d) Water being a State subject, regulation & conservation of ground water is primarily States’ responsibility. However, steps taken by the Central Government for conservation of ground water are available at the following URL http://mowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/MeasuresForGW-Depletion_1.pdf.

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