'Water' being a state subject, steps for augmentation, conservation and efficient management of water resources are primarily undertaken by the respective State Governments.

In order to supplement the efforts of the State Governments, Central Government provides technical and financial assistance to them through various schemes and programmes.

The Government of India has taken various initiatives/steps for water conservation and rain water harvesting to improving the groundwater level and addressing the water shortages. The major initiatives in this regard include ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan – Catch the Rain’ (JSA: CTR) Campaign; Atal Bhu Jal Yojana (Atal Jal); Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS); Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY); Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transforming (AMRUT); Unified Building Bye Laws (UBBL); Model Building Bye Laws (MBBL), 2016; Urban and Regional Development Plan Formulation & Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines, 2014 etc.

The Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR) campaign is a nationwide initiative implemented annually, focusing on water conservation, rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge. The campaign emphasizes convergent financing from various schemes of the Central, State and local bodies like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Per Drop More Crop, Repair, Renovation and Restoration Components under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), Finance Commission grants etc.

To further strengthen JSA: CTR, "Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari" (JSJB) initiative, launched in Surat, Gujarat on 6^th September 2024, under Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR) campaign focuses on intensifying community mobilization to build low-cost rainwater harvesting structures in saturation mode. The Jal Sanchay programme has been started in Gujarat by also leveraging community funds, individual donations, Corporate Social Responsibility Funds etc. for construction of low-cost structures like borewells, recharge shafts, recharge pits, using locally available material, to harvest rainwater, to boost ground water level and provide local tailor-made solution to water issues.

Under Ground Water Management & Regulation Scheme, Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has been involved in the implementation of several successful artificial recharge projects including recharge pits in the country for demonstrative purpose which enables the State Governments to replicate the same in suitable hydrogeological conditions. To address the challenges faced by States and local bodies in implementing rainwater harvesting systems, particularly in water-stressed regions, the Government of India has adopted a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach. As part of this strategy, Central Nodal Officers (CNOs) and Technical Officers (TOs) from the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and the Central Water Commission (CWC) conduct field visits to facilitate the districts and to provide technical assistance.

Under the Ground Water Management and Regulation (GWMR) scheme, which is a Central Sector Scheme, the CGWB offers technical assistance to State Governments for water conservation and rainwater harvesting initiatives, including those in rural areas. Since GWMR is centrally implemented, all activities are directly carried out by the CGWB.

Drinking Water being a state subject, the responsibility of planning, approval, implementation, operation, and maintenance of drinking water supply schemes, including those under the Jal Jeevan Mission, lies with State/UT Governments. The Government of India supports the States by providing technical and financial assistance. Since August, 2019, Government of India, in partnership with States, is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), by restructuring and subsuming erstwhile National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP), which aims at providing potable water to every rural household across the country through functional household tap connection.

Under Jal Jeevan Mission, States have been advised for source recharging, viz. dedicated bore well recharge structures, rainwater recharge, rejuvenation of existing water bodies, reuse of greywater, etc., in convergence with other schemes such as MGNREGS, Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), 15th Finance Commission tied grants to Rural Local Bodies/ Panchayati Raj Institutes, State schemes, CSR funds, etc. In addition, Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR) campaign encourage the water conservation at grass-roots level with people participation. Moreover, works related to water resources development and management are planned, funded, executed and maintained by the State Governments as per their own resources and priorities.

Further, for villages in water-scarce areas, in order to save the precious fresh water, States are also encouraged to plan new water supply scheme with dual piped water supply system, i.e. supply of fresh water in one and treated grey waste water in another pipe for non-potable gardening/ toilet flushing use. Moreover, the households in these areas are encouraged to use the faucet aerators that save a significant amount of water, in multiple taps they may be using inside their house.

 

This information was provided by THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

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MAM/SMP

(Lok Sabha US Q757)

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