Central Water Commission (CWC) under this Ministry has been mandated to be repository of hydrological observation data on various rivers across the country. Based on CWC data, decadal average flow of the last 2 decades, i.e., 2001-2011 and 2011-2021, at the terminal sites of 13 major rivers is annexed herewith.

The State Governments concerned are to plan, fund, execute and maintain water resources projects in their respective jurisdiction. Many of these projects involve storage of monsoon flows in the river, to reduce flows into the sea.

In order to assist the State Governments, this Ministry provides technical assistance as well as partial financial assistance to a few identified projects, under the ongoing schemes. Some of the schemes of this Ministry whereby financial assistance is being given to the State Governments for creating storages include Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme, Surface Minor Irrigation and Repair, Renovation and Restoration of water bodies under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY); National Projects scheme, Special Package for Maharashtra; as well as some specific projects included for financial assistance from time to time by the Government of India.

Water being a State subject, it is for the States concerned to conserve and save water resources in their respective jurisdiction. However, in order to augment their efforts, Government of India provides technical guidance as well as financial assistance under its existing schemes. Some of the initiatives taken by Government of India in this regard, are as below:

1. Command Area Development & Water Management (CAD&WM) programme under PMKSY provides financial assistance for bridging the gap between irrigation potential created and irrigation potential utilized, and participatory irrigation management.
2. Atal Bhujal Yojana provides financial assistance for sustainable management of groundwater resources with community participation in selected areas of 81 districts, 222 blocks and 8,774 water stressed Gram Panchayats of 7 States.
3. Ministry of Jal Shakti has been taking up annual nationwide campaign “Jal Shakti Abhiyan - Catch the Rain” (JSA:CTR) for creating appropriate rainwater harvesting structures in urban and rural areas of all the districts in the country, with peoples’ active participation. Creation of new and maintenance of old Rainwater harvesting structures; revival of traditional rainwater harvesting structures like step-wells etc; enumeration, geo-tagging and making inventory of all water bodies; preparation of scientific water conservation plans; setting up of Jal Shakti Kendras and intensive afforestation are part of the campaign.
4. National Aquifer Mapping and Management program (NAQUIM) is being implemented by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and initiated as a part of the Ground Water Management and Regulation scheme to delineate and characterize the aquifers to develop plans for ground water management.
5. Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is implementing centrally sponsored scheme of Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) in the country from 2015-16. PDMC focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at farm level through micro irrigation, viz, drip and sprinkler irrigation systems.
6. Implementation of watershed development projects in 28 states under Watershed Development component (WDC) of PMKSY, is being implemented by Department of Land Resources.
7. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) has provisions for public works relating to natural resource management, water conservation and water harvesting structures to augment and improve ground water like underground dykes, earthen dams, stop dams, check dams and roof top rain water harvesting structures in public buildings.
8. Irrigation assets are being with provision of central assistance to the States under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) being implemented by Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
9. Rejuvenation of water bodies is also a component under Water Supply sector of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) Scheme under Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs. Further, AMRUT 2.0 launched in October, 2021, with a total outlay of Rs. 2,99,000 crore targets to promote circular economy of water through development of city water balance plan for each city focusing on recycle/reuse of treated sewage, rejuvenation of water bodies and water conservation.
10. To commemorate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM), marking 75 years of independence from British rule, Government of India has also launched a campaign to take up creation/ rejuvenation of 75 water bodies, to be called Amrit Sarovars, in every district of the country. The campaign is scheduled till August, 2023.

This Information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Bishweswar Tudu in a written  reply in Lok Sabha today.

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AS

ANNEXURE

Details of Average Decadal Flow in Major Rivers in the country for the period from 2001 to 2021 (in billion cubic meter)

Note: Year has been taken as water year, being from June

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