Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) is periodically monitoring the ground water levels throughout the Country on a regional scale, through a network of monitoring wells. In order to assess the long term fluctuation in ground water level, the water level data collected by CGWB during November 2021 has been compared with the decadal mean of November (2011-2020). Analysis of water level data indicates that about 30% of the wells monitored have registered decline in ground water level whereas, about 70 % wells have registered rise in water level. State-wise details are given in Annexure I.
The Dynamic Ground Water Resources of the country are being periodically assessed jointly by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and State Governments. As per the 2020 assessment, out of the total 6965 assessment units (Block/ Taluks/ Mandals/ watersheds/ Firkas) in the country, 1114 units in 15 States/UTs have been categorized as ‘Over-exploited’ where the Annual Ground Water Extraction is more than Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource. District-wise and Assessment units-wise information can be accessed through web-links: http://cgwb.gov.in/documents/2021-08-02-GWRA_India_2020.pdf and http://cgwb.gov.in/GW-Assessment/Gw%20Assessment%20State.html respectively.
Though Water is a State subject, Central Government has taken a number of important measures for conservation, management of ground water including effective implementation of rain water harvesting in the country including in areas facing acute water shortage, which can be seen at URL:http://jalshakti-dowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/Steps_to_control_water_depletion_Feb2021.pdf. Some of the important initiatives in this regard are also given at Annexure II.
Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, RD & GR (DoWR, RD & GR) is implementing Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal), a Rs. 6,000 crore Central Sector Scheme, for sustainable management of ground water resources with community participation. Atal Jal is being implemented in 80 water stressed districts and 8565 water stressed Gram Panchayats of seven States viz. Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Government of India launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) in 2019 in 256 water stressed districts which continued during 2021 also to improve water availability including ground water conditions in the country. Further, the campaign “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” (JSA:CTR) was launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on 22 March 2021.
In addition, a number of States have done notable work in the field of water conservation/harvesting such as ‘Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan’ in Rajasthan, ‘Jalyukt Shibar’ in Maharashtra, ‘Sujalam Sufalam Abhiyan’ in Gujarat, ‘Mission Kakatiya’ in Telangana, Neeru Chettu’ in Andhra Pradesh, Jal Jeevan Hariyali in Bihar, ‘Jal Hi Jeevan’ in Haryana, and Kudimaramath scheme in Tamil Nadu etc.
As reported by States/ UTs, as on 15.03.2022, out of 17.01 lakh rural habitations of the country spread across 6.05 lakh villages, 13.25 lakh habitations have provision of potable drinking water with supply level of more than 40 litre per capita per day (lpcd) and 3.47 lakh habitations with supply level of less than 40 lpcd with sources at a reasonable distance.
This Information was given by the
Minister of State for Jal Shakti Shri Bishweswar Tudu in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
****
BY/AS
ANNEXURE-I
State-wise Decadal Water Level Fluctuation with Mean [November (2011 to 2020] and November 2021
|
S. No.
|
Name of State
|
No. of wells Analysed
|
Rise
|
Fall
|
Rise
|
Fall
|
Wells showing no change
|
|
0-2 m
|
2-4 m
|
>4 m
|
0-2 m
|
2-4 m
|
>4 m
|
|
No
|
%
|
No
|
%
|
No
|
%
|
No
|
%
|
No
|
%
|
No
|
%
|
No
|
%
|
No
|
%
|
No
|
%
|
|
1
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
706
|
419
|
59.3
|
87
|
12.3
|
50
|
7.1
|
124
|
17.6
|
14
|
2.0
|
11
|
1.6
|
556
|
79
|
149
|
21
|
1
|
0
|
|
2
|
Arunachal Pradesh
|
10
|
2
|
20.0
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0.0
|
8
|
80.0
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0.0
|
2
|
20
|
8
|
80
|
0
|
0
|
|
3
|
Assam
|
167
|
71
|
42.5
|
3
|
1.8
|
1
|
0.6
|
83
|
49.7
|
6
|
3.6
|
3
|
1.8
|
75
|
45
|
92
|
55
|
0
|
0
|
|
4
|
Bihar
|
593
|
395
|
66.6
|
78
|
13.2
|
11
|
1.9
|
102
|
17.2
|
7
|
1.2
|
0
|
0.0
|
484
|
82
|
109
|
18
|
0
|
0
|
|
5
|
Chandigarh
|
12
|
4
|
33.3
|
2
|
16.7
|
1
|
8.3
|
3
|
25.0
|
1
|
8.3
|
1
|
8.3
|
7
|
58
|
5
|
42
|
0
|
0
|
|
6
|
Chhattisgarh
|
687
|
290
|
42.2
|
66
|
9.6
|
30
|
4.4
|
230
|
33.5
|
45
|
6.6
|
26
|
3.8
|
386
|
56
|
301
|
44
|
0
|
0
|
|
7
|
Dadra & Nagar Haveli
|
17
|
15
|
88.2
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0.0
|
2
|
11.8
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0.0
|
15
|
88
|
2
|
12
|
0
|
0
|
|
8
|
Daman & Diu
|
5
|
2
|
40.0
|
1
|
20.0
|
1
|
20.0
|
1
|
20.0
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0.0
|
4
|
80
|
1
|
20
|
0
|
0
|
|
9
|
Delhi
|
86
|
29
|
33.7
|
21
|
24.4
|
15
|
17.4
|
12
|
14.0
|
3
|
3.5
|
6
|
7.0
|
65
|
76
|
21
|
24
|
0
|
0
|
|
10
|
Goa
|
68
|
9
|
13.2
|
0
|
0.0
|
1
|
1.5
|
52
|
76.5
|
5
|
7.4
|
1
|
1.5
|
10
|
15
|
58
|
85
|
0
|
0
|
|
11
|
Gujarat
|
746
|
278
|
37.3
|
122
|
16.4
|
112
|
15.0
|
140
|
18.8
|
50
|
6.7
|
44
|
5.9
|
512
|
69
|
234
|
31
|
0
|
0
|
|
12
|
Haryana
|
183
|
66
|
36.1
|
6
|
3.3
|
8
|
4.4
|
65
|
35.5
|
19
|
10.4
|
19
|
10.4
|
80
|
44
|
103
|
56
|
0
|
0
|
|
13
|
Himachal Pradesh
|
86
|
40
|
46.5
|
5
|
5.8
|
2
|
2.3
|
36
|
41.9
|
1
|
1.2
|
1
|
1.2
|
47
|
55
|
38
|
44
|
1
|
1
|
|
14
|
Jammu & Kashmir
|
213
|
100
|
46.9
|
4
|
1.9
|
3
|
1.4
|
99
|
46.5
|
4
|
1.9
|
3
|
1.4
|
107
|
50
|
106
|
50
|
0
|
0
|
|
15
|
Jharkhand
|
198
|
132
|
66.7
|
17
|
8.6
|
1
|
0.5
|
45
|
22.7
|
3
|
1.5
|
0
|
0.0
|
150
|
76
|
48
|
24
|
0
|
0
|
|
16
|
Karnataka
|
1290
|
709
|
55.0
|
265
|
20.5
|
123
|
9.5
|
159
|
12.3
|
20
|
1.6
|
14
|
1.1
|
1097
|
85
|
193
|
15
|
0
|
0
|
|
17
|
Kerala
|
1304
|
868
|
66.6
|
145
|
11.1
|
39
|
3.0
|
227
|
17.4
|
17
|
1.3
|
8
|
0.6
|
1052
|
81
|
252
|
19
|
0
|
0
|
|
18
|
Madhya Pradesh
|
1297
|
590
|
45.5
|
164
|
12.6
|
97
|
7.5
|
345
|
26.6
|
70
|
5.4
|
31
|
2.4
|
851
|
66
|
446
|
34
|
0
|
0
|
|
19
|
Maharashtra
|
1727
|
856
|
49.6
|
321
|
18.6
|
161
|
9.3
|
317
|
18.4
|
47
|
2.7
|
24
|
1.4
|
1338
|
77
|
388
|
22
|
1
|
0
|
|
20
|
Meghalaya
|
24
|
10
|
41.7
|
1
|
4.2
|
0
|
0.0
|
13
|
54.2
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0.0
|
11
|
46
|
13
|
54
|
0
|
0
|
|
21
|
Nagaland
|
2
|
1
|
50.0
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0.0
|
1
|
50.0
|
0
|
0.0
|
1
|
50
|
1
|
50
|
0
|
0
|
|
22
|
Odhisha
|
1245
|
650
|
52.2
|
32
|
2.6
|
2
|
0.2
|
517
|
41.5
|
35
|
2.8
|
8
|
0.6
|
684
|
55
|
560
|
45
|
1
|
0
|
|
23
|
Pondicherry
|
6
|
3
|
50.0
|
1
|
16.7
|
0
|
0.0
|
2
|
33.3
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0.0
|
4
|
67
|
2
|
33
|
0
|
0
|
|
24
|
Punjab
|
176
|
46
|
26.1
|
7
|
4.0
|
1
|
0.6
|
74
|
42.0
|
38
|
21.6
|
10
|
5.7
|
54
|
31
|
122
|
69
|
0
|
0
|
|
25
|
Rajasthan
|
918
|
248
|
27.0
|
80
|
8.7
|
44
|
4.8
|
290
|
31.6
|
114
|
12.4
|
141
|
15.4
|
372
|
41
|
545
|
59
|
1
|
0
|
|
26
|
Tamil Nadu
|
538
|
201
|
37.4
|
146
|
27.1
|
113
|
21.0
|
54
|
10.0
|
13
|
2.4
|
11
|
2.0
|
460
|
86
|
78
|
14
|
0
|
0
|
|
27
|
Telangana
|
537
|
203
|
37.8
|
114
|
21.2
|
133
|
24.8
|
73
|
13.6
|
5
|
0.9
|
9
|
1.7
|
450
|
84
|
87
|
16
|
0
|
0
|
|
28
|
Tripura
|
22
|
8
|
36.4
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0.0
|
11
|
50.0
|
3
|
13.6
|
0
|
0.0
|
8
|
36
|
14
|
64
|
0
|
0
|
|
29
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
646
|
358
|
55.4
|
102
|
15.8
|
21
|
3.3
|
118
|
18.3
|
32
|
5.0
|
15
|
2.3
|
481
|
74
|
165
|
26
|
0
|
0
|
|
30
|
Uttarakhand
|
45
|
23
|
51.1
|
3
|
6.7
|
2
|
4.4
|
9
|
20.0
|
4
|
8.9
|
4
|
8.9
|
28
|
62
|
17
|
38
|
0
|
0
|
|
31
|
West Bengal
|
721
|
417
|
57.8
|
87
|
12.1
|
34
|
4.7
|
117
|
16.2
|
34
|
4.7
|
31
|
4.3
|
538
|
75
|
182
|
25
|
1
|
0
|
|
Total
|
14275
|
7043
|
49.3
|
1880
|
13.2
|
1006
|
7.0
|
3328
|
23.3
|
591
|
4.1
|
421
|
2.9
|
9929
|
70
|
4340
|
30
|
6
|
0
|
ANNEXURE II
Important initiatives on management of groundwater resources
Government of India 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. In this regard, teams of officers from Central Government along-with technical officers from Ministry of Jal Shakti were deputed to visit water stressed districts and to work in close collaboration with district level officials to undertake suitable interventions.
In addition, Ministry of Jal Shakti has taken up the “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” (JSA:CTR) with the theme “Catch the Rain - Where it Falls When it Falls” to cover all the blocks of all districts (rural as well as urban areas) across the country during 22nd March 2021 to 30th November 2021. The campaign was launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on 22 March 2021.
Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater- 2020 has been prepared by CGWB in consultation with States/UTs which is a macro level plan indicating various structures for the different terrain conditions of the country. The Master Plan - 2020 envisages construction of about 1.42 crore rain water harvesting and artificial recharge structures in the country to harness 185 Billion Cubic Metre (BCM).
National Aquifer Mapping and Management program (NAQUIM) is being implemented by CGWB as part of Ground Water Management and Regulation (GWM & R) Scheme, a Central Sector scheme. NAQUIM envisages mapping of aquifers (water bearing formations), their characterization and development of Aquifer Management Plans to facilitate sustainable management of groundwater resources in the country. NAQUIM outputs are shared with States/UTs for suitable interventions.
Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has formulated guidelines for the States to adopt measures suitable to local conditions, such as Unified Building Bye Laws (UBBL) of Delhi, 2016, Model Building Bye Laws (MBBL), 2016 and Urban and Regional Development Plan Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines, 2014, wherein adequate focus has been given on requirement of rainwater harvesting and water conservation measures. As per MBBL, all buildings having a plot size of 100 sq.m. or, more shall mandatorily include the complete proposal of rainwater harvesting. 33 States/ UTs have adopted the features of these Bye Laws.
Central Government generally support construction of water conservation & rain water harvesting structures through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana – Watershed Development Component (PMKSY-WDC) and Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) scheme & Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies Schemes under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana – Har Khet Ko Pani (PMKSY-HKKP).
****