New Delhi: Ground water levels in various parts of the country are declining because of continuous withdrawal necessitated by increased demand of fresh water for various uses, vagaries of rainfall, increased population, industrialisation and urbanisation, Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat stated in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
It may be mentioned that the Government had 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.
Moreover, there was alsoa Rs.6,000.00 crore Central Sector Scheme, Atal Bhujal Yojana, for sustainable management of ground water resources with community participation. The Minister said it was being implemented in 81 water stressed districts and 8774 Gram Panchayats of seven States – Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Shekhawat while mentioning that initiatives on water management including conservation and water harvesting and revival/rejuvenation of water bodies in the Country is primarily States’ responsibility, said the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) had been implementing National Aquifer Mapping and Management program (NAQUIM), which envisages mapping of aquifers (water bearing formations), their characterisation and development of Aquifer Management Plans to facilitate sustainable management of Ground Water Resources.
The Minister said the ongoing 6th minor irrigation census was, for the first time, collecting details of all water bodies (both in rural and urban areas) irrespective of their use, and this will form the basis of monitoring the health and spread of water bodies. However, he conceded that no specific information about encroachment of water bodies by anti-social elements is available.
“Water is a State subject and therefore, making the water bodies free from encroachment falls under their mandate. Further, the States are to take necessary steps for declaring the water body boundary through a Government order and ensure removal of encroachments in the water body spread area/water body boundary before submitting a proposal for release of second installment of Central Assistance.,” he said.
– global bihari bureau
