THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION
(DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)
(a) The average annual per capita availability of water in the Country, taking into consideration the population of the Country as per year 2011 Census is 1545 cubic meters. The estimated per capita Average Annual Water Availability by 2025 is likely to be 1340.94 cubic meters. Details of State-wise per capita availability of water are not available as surface water resources are estimated basin-wise. As per the latest assessment (as on March 2011) of replenishable ground water resources, jointly assessed by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and State Ground Water Organizations, the total annual replenishable ground water resource in the Country is around 433 Billion Cubic Metres (BCM) and net annual ground water availability is 398 BCM.
(b) Ground water is primarily being used for irrigation, drinking and industrial purposes due to growing urbanization, industrialization and population, as a result of which, ground water levels in various parts of the Country are declining. Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) under the Ministry of Water Resources, RD & GR carries out ground water monitoring, four times a year, on regional scale through a network of observation wells in the Country. Water level data for pre-monsoon 2016 compared with decadal mean of pre-monsoon (2006-2015) indicates decline in ground water level in 66% of the wells monitored. Details are given at Annexure.
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(c) & (d) Several measures have been taken up by the Central Government to replenish ground water in the Country:
• The National Water Policy (2012) formulated by Ministry of Water Resources, RD & GR, inter-alia, advocates conservation, promotion and protection of water and highlights the need for augmenting the availability of water through rain water harvesting, direct use of rainfall and other management measures. The National Water Policy (2012) has been forwarded to all State Governments/ UTs and concerned Ministries/ Departments of Central Government for adoption of the policy.
• This Ministry has circulated a Model Bill 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.
• CGWB has also prepared a conceptual document entitled “Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Ground Water in India” during 2013, involving ground water scientists/experts. The Master Plan envisages construction of 1.11 crore rain water harvesting and artificial recharge structures in the Country at an estimated cost of Rs. 79,178 Crores to harness 85 BCM (Billion Cubic Metre) of water. The augmented ground water resources will enhance the availability of water for drinking, domestic, industrial and irrigation purpose. The Master Plan has been circulated to all State Governments for implementation.
• Special focus is given through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for water conservation and water harvesting structures to augment ground water. In addition, priority has been given for construction of farm ponds in the year 2016-17 to harvest rain water.
• One of the major activities under the ‘Watershed Development’ component of the ‘Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)’, inter-alia, includes rainwater harvesting.
• Besides, Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) has issued advisories to the Chief Secretaries of all States and the Administrators of all UTs to take measures to promote/adopt artificial recharge to ground water / rain water harvesting. 30 States/UTs have made rain water harvesting mandatory by enacting laws or by formulating rules & regulations or by including provisions in Building bye-laws or through suitable Government Orders.
• CGWB has taken up Aquifer Mapping and Management programme during XII Plan, under the scheme of Ground Water Management and Regulation. The Aquifer Mapping is aimed to delineate aquifer disposition and their characterization for preparation of aquifer/area specific ground water management plans.
• CGWB has been organizing mass awareness programmes in the Country to promote rain water harvesting and artificial recharge to ground water.
• MoWR, RD & GR has also launched ‘Jal Kranti Abhiyan’ (2015-16 to 2017-18) 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. ‘Jal Gram Yojana’ component of ‘Jal Kranti Abhiyan’ envisages selection of two villages in every district, preferably ‘over-exploited’ or facing acute water scarcity, as ‘Jal Grams’ to ensure optimum and sustainable utilization of water.
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ANNEXURE
Annexure referred in reply to Lok Sabha Starred Question No. *451 for 17.11.2016 regarding “Depletion in Groundwater Level”
State-wise Decadal Water Level Fluctuation With Mean [Pre-monsoon (2006 to 2015] and Pre-monsoon 2016
S. No. Name of State No. of wells
Analysed Rise Fall Wells showing
no change
No. % No. % No. %
1 Andhra Pradesh 547 236 43 308 56 3 0.5
2 Arunachal Pradesh 14 10 71 4 29 0 0.0
3 Assam 182 84 46 98 54 0 0.0
4 Bihar 551 180 33 369 67 2 0.4
5 Chandigarh 11 4 36 7 64 0 0.0
6 Chhattisgarh 616 165 27 451 73 0 0.0
7 Dadra & Nagar Haveli 12 6 50 6 50 0 0.0
8 Daman & Diu 10 2 20 8 80 0 0.0
9 Delhi 115 26 23 89 77 0 0.0
10 Goa 70 41 59 29 41 0 0.0
11 Gujarat 738 254 34 475 64 9 1.2
12 Haryana 643 184 29 454 71 5 0.8
13 Himachal Pradesh 95 36 38 59 62 0 0.0
14 Jammu & Kashmir 225 83 37 142 63 0 0.0
15 Jharkhand 212 86 41 126 59 0 0.0
16 Karnataka 1380 415 30 949 69 16 1.2
17 Kerala 1240 454 37 779 63 7 0.6
18 Madhya Pradesh 1343 502 37 838 62 3 0.2
19 Maharashtra 1487 437 29 1041 70 9 0.6
20 Meghalaya 17 6 35 11 65 0 0.0
21 Odisha 1103 395 36 705 64 3 0.3
22 Puducherry 6 5 83 1 17 0 0.0
23 Punjab 613 129 21 482 79 2 0.3
24 Rajasthan 829 346 42 481 58 2 0.2
25 Tamil Nadu 587 345 59 242 41 0 0.0
26 Telangana 377 66 18 308 82 3 0.8
27 Tripura 28 21 75 7 25 0 0.0
28 Uttar Pradesh 629 95 15 534 85 0 0.0
29 Uttarakhand 44 21 48 23 52 0 0.0
30 West Bengal 899 310 34 589 66 0 0.0
Total 14623 4944 34 9615 66 64 0.4
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