(a) whether the Government has formulated/proposes to formulate any scheme for the conservation of lakes and ponds in the country;
(b) if so, the details and the present status thereof; and
(c) the targets fixed therefor?
(a) whether the Government has formulated/proposes to formulate any scheme for the conservation of lakes and ponds in the country;
(b) if so, the details and the present status thereof; and
(c) the targets fixed therefor?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)
(a) & (b) The Ministry has been implementing the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) for conservation of polluted and degraded lakes in urban and semi-urban areas of the country on 70:30 cost sharing between the Central Government and respective State Governments (90:10 for North Eastern States). Different conservation activities under NLCP include interception, diversion and treatment of wastewater, catchment area treatment, shoreline protection, in-lake treatment, lake front development etc. Based on the proposals received from different States, the Ministry has so far sanctioned projects for conservation of 62 lakes in 14 States at a total cost of Rs.1041.96 crore under the scheme.
For better synergy and to avoid overlap, NLCP has been merged with another scheme of National Wetlands Conservation Programme into one integrated scheme of National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-Systems (NPCA) for holistic conservation of lakes and wetlands during the XII Plan period on the funding pattern of NLCP.
The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation is implementing the State Sector scheme of Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of water bodies with an outlay of Rs.6235 crore during the XII Five Year Plan period. The scheme aims at improving catchment areas of tank commands, increase in storage capacity, ground water recharge, improvement in agriculture and increased availability of drinking water.
(c) The XII Plan outlay for NPCA is Rs.525 crore for implementation of conservation projects under the scheme. The proposals are considered for financial assistance based on prioritization of water bodies in the States/Union Territories, conformity with the guidelines and availability of Plan funds. Under the RRR scheme, nearly 10,000 water bodies and irrigation potential of 6.235 lakhs hectare area are to be restored during XII Plan period.