(a) whether International Water Management Institute, Washington (USA) have conducted a survey in some countries including India to assess the level of ground water;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the survey has expressed serious concern about the declining ground water level in many parts of the country and stressed the need for rain water harvesting; and
(d) if so, the remedial steps proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard?
THE MINISTER OF WATER RESOURCES ( SHRI ARJUN CHARAN SETHI)
(a ) to (d) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY OF PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK
SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.416 DATED 22.04.2002
The Government has not received any report on the level
of ground water from International Water Management
Institute. However, the Government is aware about a report
on “The Global Ground Water Situation: Overview of
Opportunities and Challenges†brought out by the
International Water Management Institute. The report deals
with the ground water resources of South Asia, West Asia,
India and China with special emphasis on the problem of
depletion of ground water resources, water scarcity and
consequent impact on poverty and rural development. As per
the survey report, ground water levels in the cities of
Ahmedabad, Jodhpur and Chennai are falling at the rate of 7
to 10 feet per year. Ground water withdrawal exceeds annual
recharge in Western, North-Western and Peninsular India. It
also discusses the sustainability of water resources, the
problem of water logging, water salinity and water pollution.
The report highlights the need for water harvesting and
recharge in improving the ground situation in the area.
Water being a State subject, necessary measures not only
to check the declining trend in ground water level but also
to ensure the ground water level development on sustainable
basis are required to be taken by the State Governments.
However, the steps / initiatives taken by the Central
Government to check decline in the ground water level,
inter alia, include:-
(i) Constitution of Central Ground Water Authority under the
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for regulation and control
of ground water management and development.
(ii) Circulation of a Model Bill to all the States/Union
Territories to enable them to enact suitable legislation for
regulation and control of ground water development.
(iii) Circulation of Manual on artificial recharge of
ground water to the State/Union Territories to enable them to
formulate area specific artificial recharge schemes to check
the declining trend in ground water levels.
(iv) Implementation of Central Sector Scheme on “Studies of
Recharge to Ground Water†on pilot basis. Total expenditure
incurred for this scheme was Rs.23.48 crores during 9th Five
Year Plan. The proposed plan allocation for this scheme
during 10th Five Year Plan is Rs.200.00 crores.