Parliament Question: Specific initiatives taken to address the groundwater depletion in Tamil Nadu

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1842 ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026 SPECIFIC INITIATIVES TAKEN TO ADDRESS THE GROUNDWATER DEPLETION IN TAMIL NADU 1842 Dr. KANIMOZHI NVN SOMU:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) the specific initiatives taken to address the groundwater depletion in the State of Tamil Nadu;

(b) whether any community-based groundwater management practices have been implemented in the State and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether there are any plans to construct recharge wells and check dams in the State of Tamil Nadu; and

(d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY)

(a) to (d) Water being a State subject, the responsibility for addressing groundwater-related issues lies primarily with the concerned State Governments. However, the Central Government facilitates the efforts of the State Governments by providing technical and financial assistance through its various schemes and projects. In this direction, important steps taken by the Ministry of Jal Shakti and other Central Ministries for the sustainable management of groundwater resources in the country including Tamil Nadu, through rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge with active community participation, are given 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), a time bound and mission mode programme being conducted annually by the M/o Jal Shakti.

To further strengthen the momentum of JSA, Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) has been launched to make rain water harvesting a mass movement in the country and more than 40 Lac recharge structures have been formed so far. By deeply integrating public participation and converging resources, these programs channel collective effort and funding towards the cause of water conservation and augmentation. Such community-driven mobilization and convergence of efforts and resources have played a pivotal role in enhancing the sustainability of ground water resources in the country including Tamil Nadu.

1As per the data available on JSA dashboard, completion of around 14.17 lakh water conservation works, including around 47,400 recharge wells, 99,100 check dams and 4.69 lakh ponds, has been coordinated through convergence in Tamil Nadu since 2021 under JSA.

Moreover, under the JSJB campaign, more than 1.7 lakh such structures have been constructed/renovated in Tamil Nadu. ii. Further leveraging the community potential for strengthening local management of water resources, Mission Amrit Sarovar was launched by the Government of India with an aim to develop/rejuvenate water bodies in each district of the country. As an outcome nearly 69,000 Amrit Sarovars have been constructed/rejuvenated in the country with active community involvement, including 2,488 in Tamil Nadu, leading to enhanced water storage and ground water recharge.

iii. After the successful completion of National Acquifer Mapping and Management Programme

(NAQUIM) 1.0, which mapped the aquifers of the country for the entire mappable area of 25 lakh sq. kms, including 1.05 lakh Sq km of Tamil Nadu, CGWB has embarked upon NAQUIM 2.0, focusing on water stressed and quality affected pockets, with a view to provide aquifer data of high granularity and appropriate management plans.

iv. Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater- 2020 has been prepared by the CGWB for the entire country including Tamil Nadu and shared with States/UTs, for serving as a technical guidebook for construction of rain water harvesting and artificial recharge structures.

v. Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (DA & FW) is implementing Per Drop More Crop Scheme since 2015-16, which focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at farm level through Micro Irrigation leading to conservation of ground water.

vi. In addition to the above, as per the information received from the State Government of Tamil Nadu, the Directorate of Town Panchayats is actively engaged in construction of rooftop rainwater harvesting structures on all government, commercial and residential buildings falling within the jurisdiction of around 90 town panchayats in Tamil Nadu and so far more than 19 lakh buildings have been provided with such structures. Further, under various state government projects like Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project

(TNIAMP), Mission on Sustainable Dryland Agriculture (MSDA), Chief Minister’s Dryland Development Mission (CMDDM) etc. large-scale construction of farm ponds and check dams has been taken up across the state.

***** 23