**Executive Summary**
This document is the response to Unstarred Question No. 2221 in Lok Sabha regarding villages deprived of water in Banaskantha. The response, provided by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, outlines government initiatives and the status of water availability and irrigation in the Banaskantha district, as of 12.02.2026. It specifies that the State Government is primarily responsible, and that the Central Government supplements efforts.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Government Roles and Responsibilities**
* Water management is primarily the responsibility of the State Government.
* The Central Government provides technical and financial assistance to State Governments for sustainable water resource management.
* **Canal Irrigation**
* 231 villages in Banaskantha district fall under the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Project command area and are covered for canal irrigation.
* The canal network, including main and branch canals, pipelines, and distribution systems, has been completed as per the approved project planning.
* **Groundwater Monitoring**
* The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) monitors groundwater levels, including in Banaskantha District, four times a year.
* Groundwater level data from November 2025, compared to the decadal mean (2015-2024), indicates that 81.3% of monitored wells registered a rise in groundwater level.
* **Potable Water Availability**
* The Gujarat Water Supply and Sewerage Board reports that 782 out of 821 villages are covered by surface source water supply schemes.
* Plans are in place to cover the remaining 39 villages through similar schemes.
* The annual groundwater extraction in Banaskantha district is assessed as 144442.01 hectare-metre.
**Impact Analysis**
**Villagers of Banaskantha District**
* **Impact:** Their access to canal irrigation and potable water is being addressed through various government projects and schemes. 231 villages benefit from the Narmada project. Potable water availability via surface source is available to 782 of 821 villages, with plans to extend to the remaining 39.
* **Action Required:** The villages must support and make effective use of the installed canals and water supply schemes.
**State Government of Gujarat**
* **Impact:** The State Government is primarily responsible for planning, executing, and operating water resource projects, with the Central Government providing support.
* **Action Required:** The State Government should continue to collaborate with the Central Government, implement water resource projects effectively, and ensure the sustainable management of water resources in Banaskantha district.
**Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)**
* **Impact:** CGWB's activities of monitoring groundwater levels influence the long term planning.
* **Action Required:** CGWB should continue its routine monitoring of groundwater levels, analyze the data to assess long-term trends, and provide necessary information to assist with water resource planning and management.
**Gujarat Water Supply and Sewerage Board**
* **Impact:** GWSSB has a responsibility for providing water and sewerage systems.
* **Action Required:** GWSSB should continue the effort to ensure supply to all 821 villages.
**Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited**
* **Impact:** The irrigation project falls under the agency's planning
* **Action Required:** SSNNL must continue to maintain and operate the project.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Jal Shakti: The primary ministry addressing the water issue in Banaskantha.
Banaskantha: The district where the water shortage issue is focused.
Sardar Sarovar Narmada Project: A key project intended to provide water to Banaskantha district.
Central Ground Water Board (CGWB): Organization responsible for monitoring groundwater levels, particularly in Banaskantha.
Gujarat Water Supply and Sewerage Board: Involved in providing water supply schemes to villages in the Banaskantha district.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2221
ANSWERED ON 12.02.2026
VILLAGES DEPRIVED OF WATER IN BANASKANTHA
†2221. Smt. GENIBEN NAGAJI THAKOR:
Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:
(a) the number of villages in Banaskantha district still deprived of canal water despite the Narmada project
being operational for many years;
(b) the reasons for delay in completion of branch canals, pipelines and distribution networks in the said
district;
(c) whether the delay in canal irrigation has led to a decline in groundwater levels and if so, the details
thereof;
(d) the current status of potable water availability in the border and drought-affected talukas of Banaskantha;
and
(e) the timeframe set for ensuring complete irrigation and drinking water coverage?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI
(SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY)
(a) & (b) Water being a state subject, it is for the State Government concerned to plan, execute, operate and
manage the Water Resources projects. In order to supplement their efforts, Government of India provides
technical and financial assistance to State Governments to encourage sustainable development and efficient
management of water resources.
Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited has informed that a total of 231 villages of Banaskantha district
fall under the command area, as per the planning of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Project, and has been
covered for canal irrigation. The canal network under this project including main canals, branch canals,
pipelines and distribution system has been completed in accordance with the approved project planning.
(c) Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) under Ministry of Jal Shakti monitors groundwater levels
throughout the country including Banaskantha District of Gujarat, four times in every year during the months
of March/April/May, August, November and January.
In order to assess the long-term fluctuation in ground water level, groundwater level data of November
2025 for Banaskantha district has been compared with the decadal mean of data of November (2015-2024).
Analysis of this data indicates that about 81.3% of the well monitored have registered rise in groundwater
level.
(d) & (e) Gujarat Water Supply and Sewerage Board has informed that out of 821 villages, 782 villages are
currently covered through surface source based water supply schemes and remaining 39 villages are also
planned to be covered through the same.
As per studies of CGWB, the annual groundwater extraction in Banaskantha district has been assessed as
144442.01 hectare-metre.
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