(a) whether the Government is aware that major portion of ground water resources in the country are over-exploited and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
(b) whether water tables are expected to decline further on account of increasing demand for water from growing population as well as the services sector and industry and if so, the details and the facts thereof; and
(c) the steps taken/to be taken by the Government to tackle the situation?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION
(DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)
(a) & (b) As per latest assessment carried out jointly by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and State Government Departments for 2011, out of 6607 assessment units in the Country, 1071 assessment units in 15 States and 3 UTs are categorized as ‘Over-exploited’. Details are given at Annexure. Reasons for depletion of ground water resources is mainly due to growing population, urbanization and industrialization.
In view of growing population, the per capita water availability in India is reducing progressively. The average annual per capita water availability in the years 2001 and 2011 was assessed as 1820 cubic meters and 1545 cubic meters respectively, which may reduce further to 1341 and 1140 in the years 2025 and 2050 respectively.
(c) Steps taken by the Government for conservation of surface and ground water are available at the following URL http://mowr.gov.in/writereaddata/GW_Depletion.pdf.
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ANNEXURE
Annexure referred in reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Q.No. 4709 for reply on 30.03.2017 regarding “Over Exploitation of Ground Water Resources”
Over-Exploited Blocks/ Mandals/ Talukas In India
(As on March 2011)
Sl.No.
States / Union Territories Over-Exploited
Assessment units
(Nos.)
States
1. Andhra Pradesh 41
2. Chhattisgarh 1
3. Gujarat 24
4. Haryana 71
5. Himachal Pradesh 1
6. Jharkhand 6
7. Karnataka 63
8. Kerala 1
9. Madhya Pradesh 24
10. Maharashtra 10
11. Punjab 110
12. Rajasthan 172
13. Tamil Nadu 374
14. Telangana 42
15. Uttar Pradesh 111
Total (States) 1051
Union Territories
16. Daman & Diu 1
17. Delhi 18
18. Puducherry 1
Total (UTs) 20
Grand Total 1071