Parliament Question: Water Conservation Schemes

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 827 ANSWERED ON 23.07.2026 WATER CONSERVATION SCHEMES 827. Shri SURESH KUMAR SHETKAR: Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state: (a) whether any adequate funds have been allocated for water conservation schemes in the country, if so, the details thereof including utilisation status and if not, the reasons therefor; (b) whether climate change has aggravated water stress in the country, if so, the details thereof and the mitigation strategies adopted in this regard; (c) whether the rapid urbanisation has increased pressure on water resources, if so, the details thereof and the steps taken thereon; (d) whether the Government has promoted efficient water use in agriculture, if so, the details thereof including micro-irrigation initiatives and if not, the reasons therefor; and (e) whether wastewater treatment and reuse systems have been strengthened, if so, the details thereof including the capacity created and if not, the reasons therefor? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY) (a) to (e) ‘Water’ being a State subject, the aspects related to water resources including its conservation are studied, planned, funded and executed by the State Governments themselves as per their own resources and priorities. The Central Government supplements the measures and efforts being taken up by the State Governments. Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) initiative was launched in Surat, Gujarat on 6 September 2024. In June 2025, JSJB 2.0 was launched. The implementation cycle for JSJB 2.0 commenced on 1 June 2025 and concluded on 31 May 2026. Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari: Catch the Rain (JSJB: CTR) – 2026 was launched on 1st June 2026 enhancing the scope of the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) initiative and simultaneously integrating it with the Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR) campaign. The initiative focuses on intensifying community action and mobilization to build low-cost rainwater harvesting structures in low cost and saturation mode. The initiative leverages community funds, individual donations, Corporate Social Responsibility Funds and others for construction of low-cost structures like borewells, recharge shafts, recharge pits, using locally available material, to harvest rainwater, to boost ground water level and provide local tailor-made solution to water issues. The initiative also emphasizes convergent financing from various schemes of the 1Central, State and local bodies like Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Per Drop More Crop, Repair, Renovation and Restoration Components under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) and Finance Commission grants. In 2019, the Ministry of Jal Shakti launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) as a time-bound, mission-mode water conservation campaign in 256 water stressed districts of the country. The Hon'ble PM of India launched the campaign in 2021 as Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR) with the message, "Catch the Rain: Where It Falls, When It Falls." Since then, JSA: CTR evolved into a national movement, reinforcing India's collective commitment to water security through localised action and institutional convergence. The JSA: CTR campaign was implemented nationwide and each edition had included a targeted focus since 2023 to maximize impact. The JSA: CTR 2023, with the theme “Source Sustainability for Drinking Water,” prioritized 150 special focus districts identified by the Jal Jeevan Mission. The JSA: CTR 2024 campaign, themed “Nari Shakti se Jal Shakti,” was carried out across the country with a special focus on 151 districts identified by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB). The JSA: CTR 2025 was launched with the theme “Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari: Jan Jagrukta Ki Or” emphasizing deeper grassroots engagement, inter-sectoral convergence and innovative financing mechanisms with special focus on 148 districts identified by CGWB. CGWB undertakes periodic groundwater-level monitoring, groundwater-resource assessment and aquifer-mapping studies including in urban and peri-urban areas to assess changes in groundwater availability and identify emerging areas of stress associated with increasing water demand for domestic, commercial, institutional and industrial uses arising from rapid urbanization. Comparative Status of Dynamic Ground Water Resources in India (2017 and 2025) is attached at Annexure-I. Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), implemented by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, focuses on development of basic infrastructure, in the selected cities and towns across the country, in the sectors of water supply; sewerage and septage management; storm water drainage; green spaces and parks; and non-motorized urban transport. AMRUT 2.0, launched in 2021, covers all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)/cities with the objective of enabling cities to become water secure and self-reliant. The Mission promotes a circular water economy through the preparation of City Water Balance Plans and City Water Action Plans, with emphasis on identifying gaps in urban water management, recycling and reuse of treated wastewater, rejuvenation of water bodies, and water conservation. In the waste water sector, 6017 MLD of sewerage treatment capacity has been developed under the sewerage/ septage management sector, including 1457 MLD capacity for reuse. Government of India launched “Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)” with an aim to enhance physical access of water on farm and expand cultivable area under assured irrigation, improve on farm water use efficiency, introduce sustainable water conservation practices. Per Drop More Crop (PDMC), a component of PMKSY focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at farm level through Micro Irrigation namely Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation Systems. The Government provides financial assistance of 55% for 2small and marginal farmers and 45% for other farmers for the installation of drip and sprinkler irrigation systems under the PDMC. Besides some State Governments also provide Top-up subsidy to farmers from their State Budget. The Assistance for installation of Micro Irrigation systems is limited to 5 hectares per beneficiary. The details of the Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) scheme attached at Annexure-II. Further, Modernization of Command Area Development and Water Management (M-CADWM), a sub-scheme of PMKSY, incorporates measures such as pressurized piped water supply to the farm, adoption of integrated water resources management, integration with micro irrigation, water audit and use of technologies for water management. India's Third National Communication and Initial Adaptation Communication (2023), First Biennial Transparency Report (2024), and the updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) recognize the water sector as highly vulnerable to climate change and identify changing precipitation patterns, rising temperatures, glacier retreat, sea-level rise, and the increasing frequency and intensity of droughts and floods as key drivers of water stress. These assessments indicate that climate change is adversely affecting water availability, groundwater recharge, water quality, and the long-term sustainability of water resources. Government of India launched the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), under which the National Water Mission (NWM) promotes water conservation, minimize wastage, and strengthen climate-resilient water resources management. NWM encourages all States and Union Territories to prepare State-Specific Action Plans (SSAPs) to identify the potential impacts of climate change on water resources, including water availability, demand projections, and climate-resilient water management. Further, Water is one of the sectors covered under India's National Adaptation Plan (NAP), prepared by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). The Strategic Roadmap for Water under the NAP focuses on strengthening climate-related data, monitoring and early warning systems, and developing climate-resilient water infrastructure to address hazards such as droughts, floods, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), sea-level rise, coastal flooding, and cyclones. National Mission for Clean Ganga under the aegis of Ministry of Jal Shakti developed a National Framework for Safe Reuse of Treated Water (SRTW) which establishes the context, priorities and direction for SRTW. National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) implemented by Ministry of Jal Shakti aims to improve water quality to prescribed standards for outdoor bathing quality of rivers. The pollution abatement works taken up under NRCP inter alia include setting up sewage treatment plants, Interception & Diversion, Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant, reuse of treated wastewater and sludge management as core components and non- core components include Eco-sensitive river front, Biodiversity parks, Wetland rejuvenation, Crematoria, Afforestation/community plantation, catchment area treatment. NRCP covers 58 rivers in 100 towns spread over 17 States in the country, and a sewage treatment capacity of 3026 MLD (million litres per day) has been created. *** 3ANNEXURE-I ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) to (e) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 827 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 23.07.2026 REGARDING “WATER CONSERVATION SCHEMES”. S. No. Attribute Year 2017 Year 2025 1 Annual Ground Water Recharge (BCM) 431.86 448.52 2 Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource (BCM) 392.7 407.75 3 Annual Ground Water Extraction for all uses 248.69 245.64 (BCM) 4 Stage of Ground Water Extraction (%) 63.33 % 60.63% 4ANNEXURE-II ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) to (e) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 827 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 23.07.2026 REGARDING “WATER CONSERVATION SCHEMES”. Year Central Assistance released Area covered under Micro Irrigation (Rs. in crore) (in lakh ha) 2015-16 1556.73 5.73 2016-17 1991.24 8.40 2017-18 2819.39 10.49 2018-19 2918.38 11.59 2019-20 2700.02 11.73 2020-21 2562.19 9.37 2021-22 1796.12 10.15 2022-23 1901.37 11.02 2023-24 2103.50 11.41 2024-25 2793.37 12.61 2025-26 3226.37 11.86 2026-27 (Till now) 1430.39 0.24 Total 27799.07 114.60 ***** 5