(a) whether the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation has pointed out in its recent report that there were serious water problems in some developing countries.
(b) if so, whether India is reported to be one of the most
affected country;
(c) if so, the reasons mentioned in the report ; and
(d) the steps taken by the Government to meet the water
scarcity in the coming years?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES (SHRIMATI BIJOYA CHAKRAVARTY)
(a) Yes, Sir.
(b) & (c) As per the Report entitled “Unlocking the Water
Potential of Agricultureâ€, individual countries have not been
named as water scarcity nations. It indicates that one in
five developing countries would face water shortage by 2030.
It is mentioned in the report that irrigated areas in the
developing countries are expected to increase from currently
205 million hectare to 242 million hectare and water
withdrawals for irrigation is projected to increase by 14
percent by 2030. By 2030, East Asia, the Near East and North
Africa would be using three-quarters of their irrigable land
and South Asia almost 90 percent.
(d) In order to augment the availability of water in the
country for irrigation and other uses and for their
efficient use, storage capacity of 177 billion cubic metre
(BCM) has been created. Another 75 BCM of storage will be
created on completion of projects which are under various
stages of construction. Proposals for additional projects are
also under formulation/consideration for creation of storage
capacity of 132 BCM. To accelerate creation of irrigation
potential by early completion of ongoing schemes, Government
of India has launched Accelerated Irrigation Benefits
Programme (AIBP). Government of India is also promoting
rainwater harvesting through Watershed Management Programme,
artificial recharge of ground water and roof-top rainwater
harvesting under the sector reform project of Accelerated
Rural Water Supply Programme of the Ministry of Rural
Development, for which technical and financial assistance is
provided to the State Governments and other implementing
agencies. Central Ground Water Board has also taken up a
Central Sector Scheme on “Studies of Recharge to Ground
Water†on pilot basis. Assistance is also being extended to
State Governments under Command Area Development (CAD)
programme for bridging the gap between potential created and
utilized. For meeting future requirements of water, as a long
term measure, National Water Development Agency have
formulated National Perspective Plan for water resources
development which envisages interlinking various Peninsular
rivers and Himalayan rivers for transfer of water from
surplus basins to water deficit basins, wherever feasible as
per consensus between donor-donee States.