On 12.02.2026, an unstarred question No. 2277 concerning the expansion of the Atal Bhujal Yojana in Bihar was addressed in Lok Sabha. Shri Chandan Chauhan and Shri Vivek Thakur asked the Minister of Jal Shakti if the Government proposes to expand the Atal Bhujal Yojana in the aspirational districts of Bihar, particularly in Nawada and Sheikhpura. The Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Raj Bhushan Choudhary, answered that the Atal Bhujal Yojana was a pilot project with fixed duration and outlay. It was implemented across 8,203 water-stressed Gram Panchayats of 7 states, including Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. The scheme has now ended after successfully demonstrating the efficacy of community-led participatory groundwater management and providing a replicable model which can be taken up for implementation by other States.
Key Entities Referenced
Atal Bhujal Yojana: A pilot project focused on community-led groundwater management, implemented in 7 states including Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and now being considered for expansion in Bihar.
Ministry of Jal Shakti: The central ministry responsible for water resources, river development, and Ganga rejuvenation; answering questions about the Atal Bhujal Yojana.
Bihar: The state where the expansion of the Atal Bhujal Yojana is being considered.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2277
ANSWERED ON 12.02.2026
EXPANSION OF ATAL BHUJAL YOJANA IN BIHAR
†2277. SHRI CHANDAN CHAUHAN:
SHRI VIVEK THAKUR:
Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government proposes to expand the Atal Bhujal Yojana in the aspirational districts of
Bihar, particularly in Nawada and Sheikhpura; and
(b) if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI
(SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY)
(a) & (b) Atal Bhujal Yojana was a pilot project with fixed duration and outlay, implemented across
8,203 water stressed Gram Panchayats of 7 States viz. Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra,
Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The Scheme has now ended after successfully
demonstrating the efficacy of community led participatory ground water management and providing a
replicable model which can be taken up for implementation by other States also.
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