Artificial recharge, harvesting to overcome water crisis in Raj
MINISTER IN LS Ministry sanctions 127 major surface water supply projects to overcome shortage in Rajasthan
JAIPUR: The Jal Shakti Ministry is envisaging construction of artificial recharge and rainwater harvesting structures to overcome water shortage in Rajasthan.
The ministry has also sanctioned 127 major water supply projects based on surface sources in the state, minister of state f or Jal Shakti, Rattan Lal Kat a r i a told p a r l i a ment recently.
Kataria was replying to an unstarred question raised by Rajya Sabha MP Harshvardhan Singh Dungarpur.
“The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has prepared a conceptual document titled ‘Master Plan f or Artificial Recharge to Ground Water’. The master plan envisages construction of about 1.11 crore artificial recharge/rainwater harvesting structures in urban and rural areas which includes about 5 lakh structures in the state of Rajasthan,” Kataria told the House.
Raising the issue of acute water crisis situation in Rajasthan, the Rajya Sabha MP had asked whether measures were being taken by government on war footing to check the fast depleting groundwater level in the state; whether government proposes to regulate the sale of submersible pumps to curb illegal extraction of groundwater; and whether efforts were being made t o engage people f or groundwater source restoration in the state?
In reply, Kataria said Rajasthan government, in order to check the fast depleting ground water level, has launched Rajiv Gandhi Jal Sanchay Yojna (RGJSY) in August 2019. Further, three phases of Mukhyamantri Jal Swabhlamban Abhiyan (MJSA) have been completed. The basic themes in implementation of both RGJSY and MJSA are mass awareness on water saving and mass participation of people and NGOS.
“127 major water supply projects based on surface sources have been sanctioned in the State at an estimated cost of Rs 37,126.90 crores,” he said.
The minister said CGWB is implementing a nationwide programme of ‘National Aquifer Mapping and Management (NAQUIM)’ for mapping of aquifers (water bearing formations), their characterization and development of aquifer management plans to facilitate sustainable development of ground water resources. Aquifer maps and management plans have been shared with the respective state government agencies. “I n Rajasthan, about 1.8 lakh km have been covered. Public interaction programmes are being organized at grassroots level for disseminating the tenets of the Aquifer Management Plans for the benefit of the stakeholders,” he said.
He said CGWB has prepared a joint action plan with the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) for effective implementation of water conservation and artificial recharge structures in convergence with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Water stressed blocks in Rajasthan along with other States has been identified.
On water crisis in Rajasthan, Kataria said as per the 2017 dynamic ground water resources assessment of the country done jointly by CGWB and state governments, the total annual ground water recharge and annual extractable ground water resource in Rajasthan is about 13 BCM (billion cubic metre) and 12 BCM respectively. “The annual ground water extraction for all uses is about 17 BCM. Out of 295 assessment units in the State, 63% have been categorized as ‘over-exploited’, 11% as ‘critical’ and 10% as ‘semicritical’,” he said.
He informed the House that the Ministry of Jal Shakti has launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA), a campaign for water conservation and water security, in 256 water stressed districts of the