The 2030 Water Resources Group has brought out a report titled “Charting Our Water Future : Economic framework to inform decision-making”. It has been mentioned in the report that India faces an aggregate gap of 50% across all basins, driven by very rapid growth in agricultural and municipal and domestic demand. In the report, the aggregate 2030 demand and supply have been indicated to be 1498 billion cubic meters (BCM) and 744 BCM respectively.

In this regard, it is stated that the total water requirement for India has been assessed by the Standing Sub-Committee for Assessment of Availability of Requirement of Water for Diverse Uses in the Country to be about 1447 BCM by the year 2050. However, the National Commission for Integrated Water Resources Development has assessed that with achievement of the desired level of efficiency, the water requirement by the year 2050 will be about 1180 BCM in high demand scenario. The overall water availability in India has been assessed to be about 1869 BCM with estimated utilizable water of about 1123 BCM.

Considerable emphasis has been laid on the efficiency in water utilization for all purposed by the Government of India. National Water Policy states that efficiency of utilization in all diverse uses of water should be optimized . Several measures for improved management of water resources are undertaken by the respective State Governments which include restoration of water bodies, rainwater harvesting, artificial recharge of ground water and adoption of better management practices etc. Government of India is providing assistance to the State Governments through various schemes/programmes such as, Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme, Command Area Development and Water Management and Repair, Renovation of Water Bodies. Further “Increasing Water Use Efficiency by 20%” has been identified as one of the important goals in the Mission Document drafted for National Water Mission, one of the eight Missions envisaged under National Action Plan on Climate Change.

India’s access to Water Resources

The National Commission for Integrated Water Resources Development Plan in its report has indicated that the availability of water in India is about 4% of the world’s water resources. Water availability may be considered as a product in the hydrologic cycle, which is influenced by two major groups of factors: climatic factors and physiographic factors. With a view to meet the growing demand for water, various measures are taken by the respective State Governments for bringing the available water resources within the category of utilizable resources to the maximum possible extent.

Several measures for development and management of water resources are undertaken by the respective State Governments, which include creation of storages, restoration of water bodies, rainwater harvesting, artificial recharge to ground water and adoption of better management practices etc. State Governments conceive, plan and implement major, medium and minor schemes (both surface and ground water) for utilization of water resources. Government of India provides central assistance to the State Governments through various schemes/ programmes, such as Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programmes (AIBP); Command Area Development and Water Management (CAD & WM); Repair, Renovation and Restoration of Water Bodies etc.

Decline in ground water levels

A long-term analysis of ground water levels by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), under the Ministry of Water Resources, during the years 1995-2004 and the assessment of ground water resources carried out jointly by the CGWB, NABARD and the State Governments have indicated decline in ground water levels ranging from 0.07 to 3.32 meter/year in National Capital Region. However, decline of 1.2 meter/year or more has been observed in Behror block of Alwar district of Rajasthan, South and South-West districts of Delhi, Bagpat and Ghaziabad districts of Uttar Pradesh.

The measures taken by the Union and State Governments for management and development of ground water resources in National Capital Region (NCR) include;

• Issuence of notification by Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) for regulation of ground water development and management covering South and South-west districts of NCT Delhi, Behror & Gurgaon blocks of Haryana, Municipal Corporations of Faridabad and Ghaziabad.

• Directions by Government of Delhi providing inter-alia that abstraction of ground water for any purpose in the whole of Delhi would require prior permission from Delhi Jal Board and from New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) in respect of NDMC areas.

• Organization of mass awareness and water management training programmes.

• Circulation of manuals and guides, Model Bill to enable States/Union Territories to enact suitable legislation for regulation and control of ground water development and management

This information was given by the Minister of State for Water Resources, Shri Vincent H. Pala in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.