Parliament Question: Atal Bhujal Yojana in Water-Stressed Areas

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1053 ANSWERED ON 05.02.2026 ATAL BHUJAL YOJANA IN WATER-STRESSED AREAS 1053. SHRI ATUL GARG: Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state: (a) the current status of groundwater levels in the over-exploited blocks of Ghaziabad; (b) the details of enforcement of guidelines for groundwater extraction by industries and high-rise societies; (c) the status of implementation of the Atal Bhujal Yojana in the water-stressed areas of the said district; (d) the measures taken to promote artificial recharge structures and rainwater harvesting in urban and rural areas; and (e) the Government’s plan to supply surface water (Ganga water) to reduce dependence on groundwater? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY) (a) Dynamic Ground Water Resources of the country including Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh, are being assessed annually by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) in co-ordination with State Governments. As per the latest assessment report of 2025, out of total 05 Assessment Units of the Ghaziabad District of Uttar Pradesh, 04 nos. of units (80%) have been categorized as ‘Over-exploited’ (Ghaziabad City, Bhojpur, Razapur & Loni) and 01 Unit (20 %) is categorized as ‘Semi-critical’ (Muradnagar). With regard to ground water level, as per the monitoring data of CGWB for the month of November 2025 (post monsoon 2025), about 66.67% of the monitored wells across the Over-Exploited blocks of Ghaziabad have recorded ground water levels within the range of 10 mbgl (meters below ground level). (b) The Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti is involved in regulation of ground water extraction at the central level. That apart, 17 States/UTs, including Uttar Pradesh, are having their own regulatory mechanism/bodies. CGWA issues No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for ground water extraction for various purposes in accordance with its Guidelines dated 24.09.2020 which have pan India applicability. As per the Guidelines, ground water extraction charges are levied on various projects, including industries and residential apartments/group housing societies, as per the prescribed quantum linked slabs, subject to stipulated compliance conditions. CGWA has also been taking stringent measures including imposition heavy penalties and Environmental Compensation 1(EC) charges for illegal extraction of ground water and even resorting to sealing of bore wells in fitting cases. (c) Atal Bhujal Yojana was a pilot scheme for community led participatory groundwater management with a fixed duration and outlay, implemented in priority water stressed areas of the country, in consultation with States. The Scheme was not implemented in Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh. (d) ‘Water’ being a State subject, sustainable development and management of water and groundwater resources is primarily the responsibility of the State Governments. The Central Government, on its part, facilitates the efforts of the State Governments by way of technical and financial assistance through its various schemes and projects. The major steps taken in this direction, covering both rural and urban areas of the country, are provided below: i. Efforts of the Central government for augmenting the water/groundwater resources of the country, are mainly channeled through the flagship campaign of Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA), which is a time bound and mission mode programme being conducted annually since 2019 by the M/o Jal Shakti. As per the data available on JSA dashboard, completion of around 1.23 cr water conservation works has been coordinated through convergence across the country, covering both rural and urban areas, since 2021 (through convergence with MGNREGS alone). In Ghaziabad district, 859 such works have been completed. ii. To further strengthen the momentum of Jal Shakti Abhiyan, Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) has been launched with a vision to make rain water harvesting a mass movement in the country. So far, approximately 40 lakh such structures have been constructed/renovated in the country under the campaign, with 148 structures in Ghaziabad district. iii. Mission Amrit Sarovar was launched by the Government of India which aimed at developing and rejuvenating water bodies in each district of the country. As an outcome nearly 69,000 Amrit Sarovars have been constructed/rejuvenated in the country, with 100 in Ghaziabad district, leading to enhanced water storage and ground water recharge. iv. With an objective to ensure sustainability of water resources in urban areas, M/o Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), GoI, has been implementing AMRUT and AMRUT 2.0 Schemes, which are major initiatives to improve the quality of life in cities, enabling them to become 'self-reliant' and 'water secure'. Rejuvenation of urban water bodies is an important thrust area under the scheme. v. Under Shallow Aquifer Management (SAM) of MoHUA, priority cities have been selected for addressing groundwater depletion and water logging, by taking up over 35 pilot recharge structures in 6 cities in various parts of the country. vi. CGWB has also prepared the Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater- 2020, for the entire country providing a broad outline for construction of rain water harvesting and artificial recharge structures in the country. The Master plan has already been shared with State/UT administrations for taking up suitable field interventions. (e) Planning and implementation of water supply schemes is the mandate of State governments. As mentioned above, this Ministry supports the endeavours of the states through financial and technical assistance. **** 2