Parliament Question: Sustainability of rural water projects

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER & SANITATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3440 ANSWERED ON 23/03/2026 SUSTAINABILITY OF RURAL WATER PROJECTS 3440. DR. SIKANDER KUMAR: Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state: (a) the progress of modernisation of Command Area Development and Water Management, pilot project in Haroli Block, Una district and are there plans to allocate more of the scheme's ₹1,600 crore national outlay water-stressed clusters in the State of Himachal Pradesh during 2026-27; (b) whether the newly launched Sujalam Bharat App be leveraged to provide real-time water quality data for tourist-heavy and ecologically sensitive regions of the State; (c) if so, the details thereof; and (d) the steps are being taken in current budget to incentivize source sustainability in 12 districts of the State of Himachal Pradesh? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI V. SOMANNA) (a) Since August 2019, Government of India, in partnership with States including Himachal Pradesh, is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal to make provision of tap water supply to every rural household. Water is a state subject and therefore, the primary responsibility for planning and implementing piped water supply schemes to provide tap water to their households, lies with the respective State/UT. Government of India supplements the efforts of the States by providing technical and financial assistance under JJM. The Modernisation of Command Area Development and Water Management (M-CADWM) pilot project in Haroli Block, District Una, Himachal Pradesh has achieved the following progress: (i) Institutional setup like State Level Steering Committee(SLSC), State Program Management Unit (SPMU), District Level Implementation Committee (DLIC) and Farmers’ Relationship Agency (FRA) have been completed. SNA-SPARSH mapping in PFMS is completed and mother sanction for FY 2025-26 amounting to Rs. 4.3771 crore only has been issued. (ii) The Central Water Commission (CWC) has submitted its report on water source sustainability of the cluster. Revised Detailed Design Report (DDR) have been submitted and reportedly the DDR is under approval by State Government. The tender for execution of works will be floated after approval of the DDR by the State. Page 1 of 3(iii) There is no plan to allocate additional funds from the ₹1,600 crore scheme outlay to other water- stressed clusters in the State of Himachal Pradesh during 2026. The Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) in 2015– 16 to enhance irrigation coverage, improve water use efficiency, and promote sustainable water conservation practices. Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP) is a key component of PMKSY, under which Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) and Repair, Renovation & Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies schemes are implemented. The Department of Water Resources, RD&GR, Ministry of Jal Shakti provides Central Assistance to States for creation and restoration of irrigation potential under these schemes. The continuation of PMKSY-HKKP for FY 2021–22 to 2025–26 was approved by the Union Cabinet with an outlay of ₹4,580 crore, targeting 4.50 lakh hectares of irrigation potential, along with an additional allocation of ₹900 crore approved in January 2025 for SMI and RRR components. Presently, 4 clusters of Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) schemes under implementation in Himachal Pradesh out of which 2 clusters have schemes ongoing in Una District of Himachal Pradesh under PMKSY-HKKP. Details of CA release and Irrigation Potential created/restored for SMI schemes in Himachal Pradesh under PMKSY-HKKP as on date is given in Annexure. (b) and (c) The Sujalam Bharat Mobile Application has been developed as a digital platform to support systematic mapping, geotagging and monitoring of rural water supply assets. The application enables structured field-level data capture, validation and approval of assets related to Bulk Water, Out-Village, and In-Village components, and supports the generation of Sujal Gaon IDs. This initiative establishes the foundational layer of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in the rural water supply sector by creating a GIS-based digital asset registry of Public Water Supply (PWS) components, functionally linking them with one another. (d) Under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), drinking water supply schemes draw from multiple sources including groundwater, surface water (both traditional and modern), and rainwater, with an emphasis on conjunctive use to ensure sustainability and uninterrupted supply. States/UTs are increasingly shifting towards more reliable surface water sources wherever feasible. The Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) initiative, launched under Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain in September 2024, promotes community-led construction of low-cost recharge structures such as rooftop rainwater harvesting and revival of defunct borewells to address groundwater depletion. JSJB has been converged with JJM to strengthen water sustainability by integrating recharge measures, rainwater harvesting, and greywater reuse in coordination with schemes like MGNREGS and Swachh Bharat Mission, thereby ensuring long-term water availability for rural tap connections. ***** Page 2 of 3Annexure Annexure referred in reply to Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3440 due for answer on 23/03/2026. Details of SMI Schemes in Himachal Pradesh under PMKSY-HKKP (CA in Rs. crore and IP in Thousand Hectares) CA released Irrigation potential (IP) Mother Achieved S. Districts No. of Year of Estimated Eligible Upto Sanction Scheme Targeted (IP) upto Remarks No. Covered Schemes Inclusion Cost CA march during (IP) March 2025 FY 2025- 2025 26 Haroli 1 SMI 1 2024-25 74.417 66.98 0 40.5 1.874 0 Ongoing Dist -Una (HP) (111)/Kangra (40), Mandi (8), Kullu (13), Kinnaur (1), Lahul Spiti (2), 2 Shimla (28), SMI 111 2017-18 338.18 304.37 294.803 4.785 17.88 17.501 Ongoing Sirmour (9), Solan (2), Una (2), Chamba (1), Bilaspur (3), Hamirpur (2) (1)/Kinnaur 3 SMI 1 2018-19 5.73 5.157 3.56063 0.7982 230 0 Ongoing (labrang garden) (14)/ Sundar 4 Nagar(11), SMI 14 2021-22 378.988 341.089 234.764 53.163 9.665 0 Ongoing Hamirpur (3) Page 3 of 3