THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES AND MINORITY AFFAIRS
(SHRI VINCENT H. PALA)
(a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF THE STARRED QUESTION NO. 206 TO BE
ANSWERED ON 10.03.2011 IN LOK SABHA REGARDING ‘RAIN WATER HARVESTING’ ASKED BY
SHRI VARUN GANDHI AND SHRIMATI HARSIMRAT KAUR BADAL:
(a) Yes Madam.
(b) Water is a State subject.Therefore, it is the primary responsibility of the State
Governments to implement various schemes for conservation of water including rain water
harvesting. However, Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) has issued directions to
Heads of Central Road Research Institute, National Highway Authority of India, Central
Public Works Department, Railway Board, Sports Authority, Airports Authority of India,
Civil Aviation, Youth Affairs & Sports to implement the Scheme of Ground Water Recharge
of rainfall runoff along all National/State Highways and other roads, railway tracks and
other establishments of Railways, all stadia and airports. CGWA has also issued directions
to all the Residential Group Housing Societies/Institutions/Schools/Hotels/ Industrial
Establishments falling in the over-exploited and critical areas (except in the water
logged areas) in the country to adopt Roof Top Rain Water harvesting systems in their
premises.
(c) & (d) Central Ground Water Board under Ministry of Water Resources has organized
various training programmes on rain water harvesting and artificial recharge to ground
water as follows:
# A total of 18 training courses were conducted during 2008-09 under the Information,
Education & Communication scheme of Ministry of Water Resources as a measure of capacity
building for designing rain water harvesting and artificial recharge structures for
Central/State Government Organizations, NGOs, Academic institutions, etc. During the
current year, 40 training programmes have been organized in different parts of the country.
# Rajiv Gandhi National Ground Water Training & Research Institute conducts training
programme on ‘Artificial recharge techniques in different hydrogoelogical conditions’ every
year for officials from Central/ State Govt. Organizations and Academic Institutions. One
such programme has been organized during the last two years and the current year.
# Rajiv Gandhi National Ground Water Training & Research Institute has organized 18
Orientation courses on ‘Ground Water Development & Management’ for State/UT Govt.
organizations/NGOs/Academic Institutions during the current year. Rain water harvesting
and artificial recharge to ground water formed a major component of the programme.
# During the current year, training programmes on “Sustainability of ground water
sources†have been conducted by Central Ground Water Board in 23 States in coordination
with State Drinking Water Supply Departments under the aegis of Department of Drinking
Water Supply, Ministry of Rural Development.
# Central Ground Water Board has implemented demonstrative projects on rain water
harvesting and artificial recharge with an outlay of `100 crore during 11th Plan.
State-wise details of the fund released for the last two years and current year is given
in Annexure-I.
(e) The awareness campaigns and training programmes conducted by Central Ground
Water Board have helped the stakeholders in understanding the importance of ground water
resources, realize the need for water conservation and learning various measures of water
conservation including rain water harvesting and artificial recharge.
