THE MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS AND WATER RESOURCES (SHRI PAWAN KUMAR BANSAL)
(a) The Central Government supplements the efforts of the State Governments by providing technical and financial assistance through various schemes and programmes, viz., Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme, Command Area Development and Water Management Programme, Repair, Renovation and Restoration of Water Bodies, Flood Management Programme, Artificial Recharge of Ground Water etc. Financial outlays for XII Five Year Plan have not been finalized so far.
(b) & (c) Yes, Madam. The Revised Draft National Water Policy (2012) recognizes that large parts of India have already become water stressed and that rapid growth in demand for water due to population growth, urbanization and changing lifestyle pose serious challenges to water security.
(d) Yes, Madam. The Revised Draft National Water Policy (2012) takes note of the fact that access to safe water for drinking and other domestic needs still continues to be a problem in many areas.
(e) The Revised Draft National Water Policy (2012) declares safe drinking water as a pre-emptive need and recommends that the Centre, the States and the local bodies (governance institutions) must ensure access to a minimum quantity of potable water for essential health and hygiene to all its citizens, available within easy reach of the household.
The Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation administers through the States, the centrally sponsored scheme, National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) for providing financial and technical assistance to the States to supplement their efforts to provide drinking water to the rural areas. The State Governments are vested with powers to plan, execute and implement drinking water supply schemes under NRDWP. Rural Water Supply Schemes are approved by the State Level Scheme Sanctioning Committee.
