(a) the extent to which ground water level has been declined during the last three years alongwith reasons therefor, State-wise;
(b) whether the Government are contemplating to set up a
High Level Committee to look into the matter; and
(c) if so, the efforts made by the Government to arrest the
fall in water level?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES (SHRIMATI BIJOYA CHAKRAVARTY)
(a) State-wise details of the extent of decline in the
levels of ground water during the last three years, as
per observations made by the Central Ground Water Board
(CGWB), is given in the enclosed Statement. The main
reasons for decline in ground water level are rapid
pace of urbanization, increasing demand for
agricultural, industrial and domestic purposes, change
in cropping pattern and excessive withdrawals of ground
water, poor rainfall etc.
(b) No, Sir.
(c) Water being a State subject, it is primarily the
responsibility of the concerned State Governments to
plan, finance and execute schemes for augmenting water
resources. The Central Government has initiated
following measures to augment ground water resources in
the country:-
(i) Implementation of a Central Sector Scheme for Study of
Recharge to Ground Water in the country.
(ii) Formulation of a Centrally Sponsored Scheme on
“Artificial Recharge to Groundwater and Rain Water
Harvesting†at an estimated cost of Rs. 175 crore for
implementation during the X Plan. The scheme is at
consultation stage.
(iii) Circulation of Manual/Guidelines on Artificial
Recharge of Ground Water to the States/Union Territories to
enable them to formulate area specific artificial
recharge schemes to check the declining trend in ground
water levels.
(iv) Organisation of mass awareness programmes and training
courses on rain water harvesting and artificial recharge of
ground water.
(v) Circulation of a Model Bill in the year 1970 which was
re-circulated in 1992 and again in 1996 to all the
States/Union Territories to enable them to enact suitable
legislation for regulation and control of ground water
development.
(vi) Constitution of the Central Ground Water Authority
(CGWA) under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for
regulation and control of ground water management and
development.
(vii) Launching of a website on Roof Top Rain Water
Harvesting (www.cgwbindia.com) to make aware and educate the
public about various techniques of harvesting rainwater and
store it for future use.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN PART (a) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2829 DATED 11.08.2003 REGARDING DECLINE IN WATER LEVEL
STATE-WISE GROUND WATER DECLINE (PRE-MONSOON) BETWEEN 1999-2002
Sl. States No. of Range No. districts (in metres) recorded decline in water level
1 Andhra Pradesh 15 0.24-5.78 2 Arunachal Pradesh 4 0.85-1.91 3 Assam 11 0.16-1.88 4 Bihar 7 0.14-1.66 5 Chhattisgarh 15 1.00-2.20 6 Delhi 6 0.54-8.57 7 Gujarat 5 0.45-3.32 8 Haryana 17 0.20-3.96 9 Himachal Pradesh 6 1.30-1.61 10 Jammu & Kashmir 4 1.13-2.09 11 Jharkhand 8 0.38-4.40 12 Karnataka 20 0.19-3.22 13 Kerala 6 0.40-1.43 14 Madhya Pradesh 34 0.14-4.31 15 Maharashtra 27 0.15-2.68 16 Meghalaya 1 0.70 17 Orissa 12 0.13-1.48 18 Punjab 14 0.25-3.53 19 Rajasthan 17 0.48-4.46 20 Tamil Nadu 27 0.50-5.79 21 Uttar Pradesh 25 0.12-3.45 22 West Bengal 17 0.24-2.43