(a) the steps being taken by the Government to improve ground water level and to prevent the further depletion of ground water level in more than 33 villages including Barai, Ranighati, Aron and Patai in Gwalior Parliamentary Constituency in Madhya Pradesh which are facing water crisis due to the constant decrease in ground water level ; and
(b) the details of the action plan of the Government to improve ground water level in rural areas?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI & SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
(SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA)
(a) & (b) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
*****
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) & (b) OF STARRED QUESTION NO.†*434 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 25.03.2021 REGARDING “IMPROVING GROUND WATER LEVEL” ASKED BY SHRI VIVEK NARAYAN SHEJWALKAR, M.P.
(a) Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) is periodically monitoring the ground water levels throughout the Country on a regional scale, through a network of monitoring wells. Gwalior parliamentary constituency comprises of Gwalior district and part of Shivpuri district (4 blocks of Gwalior district namely Bhitarwar, Dabra, Gahtigaon and Morar and 4 blocks in Shivpuri district namely Pohri, Karera and Narwar and part of Shivpuri block).
As per assessment of Dynamic Ground Water Resources, 2017 jointly carried out by CGWB and State Government, the Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource is 74837 hactare-m (ham) while the Annual Ground Water Extraction is 22348 ham which is only 30% of the Extractable Ground Water Resources. All the 4 blocks in Gwalior district viz. Dabra, Bhatirwar, Ghatigaon and Morar fall under ‘Safe’ Category. The villages namely Barai, Ranighati, Aron and Patai fall in the Ghatigaon block of Gwalior district.
In Shivapuri District (part of Gwalior Parliamentary Constituency), the Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource is 36101 ham while the Annual Ground Water Extraction is 22303 ham which is only 62% of the Extractable Ground Water Resources. Out of 4 blocks in Shivapuri district, 3 blocks viz. Pohri, Shivpuri, and Karera fall under ‘Safe’ Category and Narwar fall under Semi-Critical category.
Ground Water Resources Availability, Utilization and Stage of Development in Gwalior Parliamentary Constituency (as on 2017) is given at Annexure.
Water being a State subject, initiatives on water management including conservation and water harvesting in the Country is primarily States’ responsibility. However, some of the important steps taken towards sustainable management of ground water resources in Gwalior district include the following:
(i) Water harvesting and water conservation works in the country is generally taken up through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). As per information collected from MIS system maintained by Ministry of Rural Development (MGNREGA) the consolidated details of water conservation and water harvesting works ongoing and completed with cost in respect of blocks falling under Gwalior and Shivpuri districts (under Gwalior constituency) in last five years is given below.
District Ongoing works Completed works
No of works Expenditure
(in Cr) No of works Expenditure
(in Cr)
Gwalior district 3650 40.67 1317
65.11
Shivpuri district 4311 46.17 2185 84.87
Contd…P/2
//2//
(ii) The Department of Land Resources (DoLR) is implementing Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana – Watershed Development Component (PMKSY-WDC) for development of rainfed / degraded lands. DoLR has provided financial assistance to 446 watershed development projects to Madhya Pradesh (including 9 projects in Gwalior District and 03 projects of Shivpuri district falling under Gwalior constituency) under Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) which has been amalgamated with PMKSY-WDC. The total cost of 12 projects is Rs 75.91 Cr.
(b) Water being a State subject, initiatives on water management including conservation and water harvesting in the Country is primarily States’ responsibility. However, the important measures taken by the Central Government for conservation, management of ground water and effective implementation of rain water harvesting in the country are available at the following URL: http://jalshakti-dowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/Steps_to_control_water_depletion_Feb2021.pdf.
A number of States have done notable work in the field of water management/conservation. Of these, mention can be made of ‘Mukhya Mantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan’ in Rajasthan, ‘Sujalam Sufalam Abhiyan’ in Gujarat, ‘Mission Kakatiya’ in Telangana, ''Neeru Chettu’ in Andhra Pradesh, ‘Paani Bachao, Paisa Kamao’ in Punjab and ‘Jal Hi Jeevan’ in Haryana among others.
Government of India launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) in 2019, a time bound campaign with a mission mode approach intended to improve water availability including ground water conditions in the water stressed blocks of 256 districts in India. In this regard, teams of officers from Central Government along-with technical officers from Ministry of Jal Shakti were deputed to visit water stressed districts and to work in close collaboration with district level officials to undertake suitable interventions.
In addition ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan – Catch the Rain’ campaign has been launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on 22 March 2021. The Campaign will be undertaken across the country, in both rural and urban areas, with the theme “catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls”. It is being implemented from 22nd March 2021 to 30th November, 2021 during the pre-monsoon and monsoon period in the country. It is being launched as a Jan Andolan to take water conservation at grass-root level through people’s participation for sustainable management of water resources.
To have scientific inputs about the status of groundwater aquifers, CGWB is implementing a nationwide programme of “National Aquifer Mapping and Management (NAQUIM)” for mapping of aquifers (Water bearing formations), their characterization and development of aquifer management plans to facilitate sustainable development of ground water resources. Aquifer maps and management plans are shared with the respective State agencies for taking up suitable demand side and supply side interventions. So far, around 15.57 lakh sq. km. area has been covered under NAQUIM against the total mappable area of 24.8 Lakh Sq KM in the country. Balance areas are targeted to be completed by March 2023.
Contd…P/3
//3//
Government of India is implementing Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal), a Rs.6,000.00 crore Central Sector Scheme, for sustainable management of ground water resources with community participation. Atal Jal is being implemented in 81 water stressed districts and 9000 Gram Panchayats of seven States viz. Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Ministry has circulated a Model Bill to all the States/UTs to enable them to enact suitable ground water legislation for regulation of its development, which also includes provision of rain water harvesting. So far, 19 States/UTs have adopted and implemented the ground water legislation.
Central Government supports construction of water harvesting and conservation works primarily through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana – Watershed Development Component (PMKSY-WDC). The consolidated number of works taken up in the last five years in the country and expenditure in this regard on water conservation and water harvesting related works under MGNREGS is given below.
WATER CONSERVATION & WATER HARVESTING WORKS TAKEN UP UNDER MGNREGS IN ALL STATES/UTs DURING 2016-17 TO 2020-21 (as on 15th March 2021)
COMPLETED ONGING
NUMBER OF WORKS EXPENDITURE
(in Rs. Lakh) NUMBER OF WORKS EXPENDITURE
(in Rs. Lakh)
2017003 3649396 3296457 2294384.21
Further, consolidated number of water harvesting structures (WHS) created to States/UTs under PMKSY-WDC are given below.
Total WHS created/rejuvenated during 2015-16 to 2020-21 including amount released.
Numbers of WHS created/rejuvenated
(as on 31.12.2020)
6,01,493
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ANNEXURE
Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of Starred Question No.†*434 to be answered in Lok Sabha on 25.03.2021 regarding “Improving Ground Water Level”.
Ground Water Resources Availability, Utilization and Stage of Development, Gwalior Parliamentary Constituency (As on 2017)
District Name of Assessment Unit (Block) Total
Geographical
Area
(in Ha) Annual
Extractable
Ground
Water
Recharge
( in Ham) Existing Gross Ground Water Draft for All
Uses
(in Ha-m) Stage of
Ground
Water
Extraction
(in %) Category
Gwalior Bhitarwar 90000 21169 4514 21.3 Safe
Dabra 97400 21403 4196 19.6 Safe
Ghatigaon 172800 17097 4671 27.3 Safe
Morar 96200 15168 8967.18 59.1 Safe
Sub Total 456400 74837 22348.18
Shivpuri Karera 101400 6164.13 3891.2 63.1 Safe
Pohri 157300 11505.7 6057.94 52.7 Safe
Shivpuri 195600 10059.01 6222.96 61.9 safe
Narwar 98400 8371.9 6130.98 73.2 Semi-
Critical
Sub Total 552700 36100.74 22303.08
Total 1009100 110937.74 44651.26