Question : CHANNELISATION OF WATER SUPPLY PROGRAMMES

(a) the steps taken by the Government to channelize water supply programmes in the country; and

(b) the total availability of water and utility per annum thereof?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES (SMT. BIJOYA CHAKRAVARTY)

(a) Drinking Water supply being a State subject, the schemes for providing drinking water supply facilities are implemented by the State Governments from their own resources. Government of India supplements the efforts of the States by providing financial assistance under the Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP) and the Prime Minister’s Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY) – Rural Drinking Water Component. Powers have been delegated to the States to plan, sanction and implement individual rural water supply schemes under the ARWSP and PMGY - Rural Drinking Water Component. The National Agenda for Governance (NAG) of the Government of India envisages provision of drinking water supply facilities to all rural habitations in the country by 2004. As per the Action Plans prepared by all the State Governments, this objective could be achieved subject to availability of funds. As per guidelines issued by Central Water Commission for “ Provision of Drinking Water Supply in Multipurpose and Irrigation Projects”, a provision is specifically made for drinking water supply, both for urban and rural, as one of the components of the project, wherever there is no alternative source of drinking water.

(b) India receives an average annual precipitation of 4000 Billion Cubic Meter (BCM) which includes snowmelt. Out of this, 3000 BCM occurs during monsoon. As per the assessment of the Central Water Commission in 1993, the average annual flow in the river-systems of the country is assessed at 1869 BCM, out of which 1122 BCM is utilizable comprising of about 690 BCM as surface water and 432 as replenishable ground water. The utilization through surface and ground water in 1997 has been reported as 605 BCM.