Ministry of Jal Shakti has launched the first Census of Water Bodies in convergence with the Sixth Minor Irrigation Census (reference year 2017-18) with the objective of developing a national database of all water bodies in the country. As per currently available data, the provisional figures of State-wise number of water bodies and number of cases of encroachment of water bodies is given in Annexure A. However, works related to enumeration of water bodies, their protection from encroachment, or diversion for use for other purposes, comes under the purview of the State Government concerned.

Though water is a State subject, Government of India has taken a number of important measures to identify and conserve such water bodies in a stipulated time frame. Key measures taken recently in this regard are listed below:

1. Government of India is providing financial assistance to the States under Repair, Renovation and Restoration of Water Bodies component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) – Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP).

2. Rejuvenation of water bodies is also a component under water supply sector of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme under Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs. AMRUT 2.0, launched in October, 2021.

3. In 2019, Jal Shakti Abhiyan was launched by the Government. This was followed in 2021 by “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch The Rain” (JSA:CTR) campaign. The JSA:CTR campaign for the year 2022 has been launched in March 2022, in all districts (rural as well as urban) of the country. The main theme of the campaign is “Catch the Rain, where it falls, when it falls”. Focused interventions under these annual campaigns taken up by the Government of India and the State Governments, inter alia, include renovation of traditional and other water bodies/ tanks, enumeration, geo-tagging and making inventory of all water bodies, and removal of encroachments of tanks/ lakes, and de-silting of tanks, and protection of water catchment area.

4. Mission on Amrit Sarovar, aimed at developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district of the country as a part of celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, has been launched in April, 2022. The Mission works through the States and districts, through refocusing of various ongoing schemes of the Government, as well as inclusion of citizen and non Government resources. The Mission is to be completed by 15th August 2023.

5. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) has provisions for public works relating to natural resource management, water conservation and water harvesting structures to augment and improve ground water like underground dykes, earthen dams, stop dams, check dams and roof top rain water harvesting structures in public buildings.

This information was given by the Minister of State, for Jal Shakti, Shri Bishweswar Tudu in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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ANNEXURE -A

This information was given by the Minister of State, for Jal Shakti, Shri Bishweswar Tudu in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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