Question : WATER HARVESTING SCHEME

(a) whether the Government proposes to formulate any scheme of water harvesting for the drought-prone areas;

(b) if so, whether scheme includes the revival and restoration of old ponds of Gram-Panchayats for irrigation and water harvesting and to check the receding water table in the drought hit rural areas;

(c) if so, whether any step has been taken by the Government to recharge ground water level by harvesting rain water in these ponds; and

(d) if so, the details thereof and the concrete steps being taken by the Government in this regard?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES(SHRI JAI PRAKASH NARAYAN YADAV)

(a) Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), under the Ministry of Water Resources, has proposed a scheme for “Artificial Recharge to Ground Water and Rain Water Harvesting” for implementation in the country including drought-prone areas during the remaining two years of the Tenth Five Year Plan at an estimated cost of Rs. 175 crores. There is no proposal in the Ministry of Water Resources to formulate any other special scheme of water harvesting for drought-prone areas.

(b) to (d) No, Sir. However, a pilot scheme “National Project for Repair, Renovation and Restoration of Water Bodies directly linked to Agriculture” has been approved by the Union Government in January, 2005 with a total outlay of Rs. 300 crores for the remaining period of Tenth Five Year Plan. The aims and objectives of the project are to restore and augment the storage capacity of water bodies and to recover and extend their lost irrigation potential.