Though irrigation projects are being planned and implemented by the State Governments as per their priorities and fund availability etc., however techno-economic appraisal of the medium and major irrigation projects on inter-State rivers is to be carried out by Central Water Commission under Ministry of Jal Shakti. During appraisal, and subsequent acceptance by the Advisory Committee on Irrigation, Flood Control and Multipurpose Projects under Ministry of Jal Shakti, the quantum of water earmarked for irrigation and drinking water is clearly spelt out as per the project planning. No such instance of substantial diversion in the allocation between irrigation and water has been brought to the notice of Government of India.

Further, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) being the nodal Ministry for urban affairs has informed that under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) & AMRUT 2.0 individual projects are selected, appraised designed, approved and implemented by the concerned States/Union Territories (UTs). The Government of India only approves State Annual Action Plans (SAAPs) and releases Central Assistance (CA) as per Mission guidelines. The information regarding water source of each of the water supply projects is not ascertained & thus not available at MoHUA.

Government of India through AMRUT & AMRUT 2.0 supports States/ UTs for achieving functional tap connections universally, undertaking water source conservation, rejuvenation of water bodies, recycle/re-use of treated used water and rainwater harvesting as water sources. ULBs/ States have been entrusted to plan, design & implement such projects. The information regarding water source of each of the water supply projects is not ascertained & thus not available at MoHUA. However, through AMRUT under water supply sector 1,341 projects have been grounded worth ₹42,638 crore including 926 completed projects worth ₹17,501 crore.

Under AMRUT 2.0, water source improvement and augmentation in the city is an admissible project element. As per framework, ULBs have to prepare City Water Balance Plan (CWBP) comprising details of water sources etc. based on which gaps in services & alternate sources are worked out and projects are proposed by ULBs, then aggregated into State Water Action Plan & sent by State to MoHUA for consideration. Mission also focuses on preparing City Aquifer Management Plan on maintaining positive groundwater balance in urban aquifer systems. Appropriately treated used water for reuse may further augment availability of water.

Since August, 2019, Government of India in partnership with States is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to make provision of potable tap water supply to every rural household of the country, by 2024.

At the time of announcement of Jal Jeevan Mission, 3.23 Crore (17%) households were reported to have tap water connections. So far, around 7.44 Crore (38%) rural households have been provided with tap water connections in last 3 years. Thus, as on 06.12.2022, out of 19.36 Crore rural households in the country, around 10.67 Crore (55%) households are reported to have tap water supply in their homes.

Under JJM, the water sources inter alia which include groundwater (open well, borewell, tube well, handpumps, etc.), ancient & traditional surface water (river, reservoir, lake, pond, springs, etc.) and rain water stored in small tanks are being used as sources for drinking water supply schemes. Drinking Water being a State subject, it is States, who plan, design, approve and implement drinking water supply schemes. Government of India supplements the efforts of the States by providing technical and financial assistance. As such details of individual projects/ schemes for rural water supply projects including water source for scheme are not maintained at the Government of India level.

Steps for augmentation, conservation and efficient management of water resources are primarily undertaken by the respective State Governments. For supplementing the efforts of the States, the Central Government has taken various steps for sustainable ground water management in the country. Details are available at:

http://jalshaktidowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/Steps%20taken%20by%20the%20Central%20Govt%20for%20water_depletion_july2022.pdf

This information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel in a  written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

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AS