‘Jalyukt Shivar scheme a failure’

EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS BETTER RAINFALL THIS YEAR THAN IN 2015, CONGRESS SAID, MORE VILLAGES SAW DIP IN GROUNDWATER LEVELS

MUMBAI: The Congress on Friday claimed the Devendra Fadnavisled government’s water conservation scheme across villages, Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyaan (JYS), was a failure and corruption-ridden by citing the government’s groundwater level reports.

As per the Groundwater Survey and Development Agency (GSDA) report released earlier this month, the Congress claimed, even though the state recorded a better monsoon this year than in 2015, more villages recorded groundwater depletion by more than a metre. In 2015, with Maharashtra receiving 59.4% of normal rainfall, 13,751 villages recorded a serious level of groundwater depletion; in 2018, with the state getting 73.5% of normal rainfall, 13,984 villages recorded similar levels of groundwater depletion.

Sachin Sawant, state Congress general secretary and spokesperson, also raised questioners over PM Narendra Modi’s claim of 16,000 Maharashtra villages being drought-free. “While addressing a rally in Shirdi last week, had said that 16,000 villages have become water-neutral and another 9,000 were on the verge of becoming drought-free. Days later, 18,000 villages were declared drought-hit. This means the PM has lied to the people of Maharashtra,” he said.

According to GSDA reports, 13,571 villages recorded groundwater depletion by more than a metre in 2015; 1,381 in 2016; and 10,167 in 2017. “The JYS was launched in 2015 and was implemented in villages with the highest groundwater level depletion. A sum of ₹7,789 crore was spent on the scheme in the last four years. If the groundwater level has further declined in more number of villages, it proves the failure of the scheme. This has happened due to the corruption at the local level and the government should investigate it,” Sawant said.

However, water conservation minister Ram Shinde, said, “The GSDA report cannot be the only parameter to arrive at conclusions about the groundwater level. According to our studies, the water level has increased in 101 tehsils, while it has gone up by 4.5m in districts of Marathwada. The crop area has increased substantially and it has been possible only because of the JYS.”