(a) whether it is true that the Government has celebrated the year 2015 as water conservation year and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government has any proposal to introduce special programmes for optimal use of water resources in the country; and
(c) if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION
(DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)
(a) The Government has launched Jal Kranti Abhiyan (2015-18) on 5th June, 2015 in order to consolidate water conservation and management in the country through a holistic and integrated approach involving all stakeholders, making it a mass movement.
(b) & (c) During 2015-16, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) was launched with the objective to achieve convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level, expand cultivable area under assured irrigation, improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water, enhance the adoption of precision-irrigation and other water saving technologies (More crop per drop) etc. Further, implementation of 99 priority projects under PMKSY-AIBP (including their CADWM works) having 76 lakh Ha of ultimate irrigation potential with balance cost of Rs. 77595 crore has been approved during the period 2016-17 for implementation during the period 2016-17 to 2019-20 (upto December, 2019). The funding arrangement of central assistance and state share for these projects has been made through NABARD.
*****