**Executive Summary**
This document, a notification from the Ministry of Rural Development dated September 23, 2025, amends Schedule I of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005. The amendment focuses on prioritizing water conservation and harvesting projects in areas classified based on groundwater exploitation levels. This is effective immediately.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Amendment:** Schedule I of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 is amended.
* **Priority Areas:** Assessment units (Blocks) classified by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) as ‘Over-exploited,’ ‘Critical,’ ‘Semi-critical,’ and ‘Safe’ are designated as priority areas for intervention.
* **Minimum Percentage of Water-Related Works:**
* **Over-Exploited and Critical Blocks:** A minimum of 65% of the works undertaken in these blocks, in terms of cost, must be for water conservation, water harvesting, and other water-related projects.
* **Semi-Critical Blocks:** A minimum of 40% of the works undertaken must be for water conservation, water harvesting, and other water-related projects.
* **Safe Blocks:** A minimum of 30% of the works undertaken must be for water conservation, water harvesting, and other water-related projects.
**Impact Analysis**
**District Programme Coordinator / Programme Officer Impact**
* **Impact:** Responsible for ensuring compliance with the amended regulations regarding the percentage of water-related works in the specified blocks.
* **Action Required:** Ensure that the minimum percentage of water-related works is met in each block category (‘Over-exploited,’ ‘Critical,’ ‘Semi-critical,’ and ‘Safe’) as per the stipulated percentages.
**Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) Impact**
* **Impact**: The CGWB classification of assessment units (Blocks) drives action for determining intervention priority.
* **Action Required**: No direct action. The CGWB's reports on dynamic ground water resources are critical for programme implementation and monitoring.
Key Entities Referenced
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005: The primary act being amended, impacting rural employment and development.
Ministry of Rural Development: The ministry responsible for the notification and the implementation of the scheme.
Central Ground Water Board (CGWB): The agency that provides the ground water assessment reports used for the categorization of assessment units.
Schedule I: The specific schedule of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 being amended.
रजजस्ट्री स.ं डी.एल.- 33004/99 REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99
सी.जी.-डी.एल.-अ.-23092025-266311
CG-DxLx-xEG-I2D3H0x9x2x0 25-266311
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ऄसाधारण
EXTRAORDINARY
भाग II—खण् ड 3—ईप-खण्ड (ii)
PART II—Section 3—Sub-section (ii)
प्राजधकार स ेप्रकाजित
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
स.ं 4170] नइ ददल्ली, मगं लिार, जसतम्ब र 23, 2025/अजििन 1, 1947
No. 4170] NEW DELHI, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2025/ASVINA 1, 1947
ग्रामीण जिकास मत्रं ालय
ऄजधसचू ना
नइ ददल्ली, 23 जसतम्बर, 2025
का.अ. 4288(ऄ).—महात्मा गांधी राष्ट्रीय ग्रामीण रोजगार गारंटी ऄजधजनयम, 2005 (2005 का 42) की
धारा 29 की ईपधारा (1) द्वारा प्रदत्त िजियों का प्रयोग करते हुए, केन्द्रीय सरकार, आस अिय स े संतुष्ट होकर दक ऐसा
करना अिश्यक और समीचीन ह,ै ईि ऄजधजनयम की ऄनुसूची 1 म ेंजनम्नजलजखत और संिोधन करती ह,ै नामत: :-
महात्मा गांधी राष्ट्रीय ग्रामीण रोजगार गारंटी ऄजधजनयम, 2005 की ऄनुसूची I, ऄनछु ेद 4, ईप ऄनुछेद 2 म ें प्रािधान के
बाद जनम्नजलजखत प्रािधान डाला जाएगा :-
बिते दक, केंरीय भूजल बोडड (सीजीडब्लल्यूबी) द्वारा ईपलब्लध गजतिील भूजल संसाधन मूल्यांकन ररपोटड म ें
'Over-Exploited', 'Critical', ‘Semi-Critical’ और 'Safe’ के रूप म ें िगीकृत मूल्यांकन आकाआयों (ब्ललॉक) को
कायडिाही के जलए प्राथजमकता िाले क्षेत्रों के रूप म ें माना जाएगा, जैसे दक जजला कायडक्रम समन्द्ियक या कायडक्रम ऄजधकारी
यह सुजनजित करेगा दक लागत के संदभड म ें ब्ललॉकों म ें दकए जाने िाले कायों का न्द्यूनतम प्रजतित जल संरक्षण, जल संचयन
और ऄन्द्य जल संबंधी कायों के जलए जनम्नजलजखत के ऄनुसार होगा, नामतः;
(क) ‘Over-Exploited’ और ‘Critical’ ग्रामीण ब्ललॉक में 65 प्रजतित
6306 GI/2025 (1)2 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(ii)]
(ख) ‘Semi-Critical’ ग्रामीण ब्ललॉकों म ें 40 प्रजतित
(ग) ‘Safe’ ग्रामीण ब्ललॉकों में 30 प्रजतित
[फा. सं. ज-े 11017/05/2021-अरइ-VII]
रोजहणी रामदास भiजीभाकरे, संयक्ु त सजचि
रटप्पणी: महात्मा गांधी राष्ट्रीय ग्रामीण रोजगार गारंटी ऄजधजनयम, 2005 की ऄनुसूची-1 को पहली बार संख्या
का.अ. 323(ऄ), ददनांक 6 माच,ड 2007 द्वारा संिोजधत दकया गया था और ऄंजतम बार संख्या
का.अ. 3622(ऄ), ददनांक 6 ऄगस्ट्त, 2025 द्वारा संिोजधत दकया गया था।
MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 23rd September, 2025
S.O. 4288(E).—In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 29 of the Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (42 of 2005), the Central Government being satisfied that it is
necessary and expedient so to do, hereby makes the following further amendments to Schedule I of the said
Act, namely:-
In the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, in Schedule I, in Paragraph 4, in sub-
paragraph (2), after the proviso, the following proviso shall be inserted, namely:-
“Provided further that the assessment units (Blocks) classified as 'Over-exploited', 'Critical', Semi-critical‟
and „Safe‟ in the available Dynamic Ground Water Resources Assessment Report, by the Central Ground Water
Board (CGWB), shall be treated as priority areas for intervention, and the District Programme Coordinator or
Programme Officer shall ensure that a minimum percentage of the works to be taken up in the assessment units
(Blocks) in terms of cost, shall be for water conservation, water harvesting and other water-related works as per
following, namely:-
(a) 65 per cent in „Over-exploited‟ and „Critical‟ rural blocks;
(b) 40 per cent in „Semi-critical‟ rural blocks; and
(c) 30 per cent in „Safe‟ rural blocks”.
[F. No. J-11017/05/2021-RE-VII]
ROHINI RAMDAS BHAJIBHAKARE, Jt. Secy.
Note : Schedule I of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 was first amended vide
number S.O. 323(E), dated the 6th March, 2007 and lastly amended vide number S.O. 3622(E), dated
the 6th August, 2025.
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