Water resources projects, including those involving construction of new water reservoirs for storage, rainwater catchment, flood mitigation and management, are planned, funded, executed and maintained by the State Governments themselves as per their own resources and priority. Role of Government of India is limited to being catalytic, providing technical support, and partial financial assistance to a few identified projects under the ongoing schemes. Further, techno-economic appraisal of inter-state major & medium irrigation projects is to be undertaken carried out by Central Water Commission (CWC) under the Ministry.

Some of the initiatives taken by Government of India in this regard, are given below:

1. 1. Partial financial assistance is being provided by this Ministry for major and medium irrigation projects under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana – Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (PMKSY-AIBP), with pari-passu implementation of command area development & water management (CAD&WM). Creation of new water reservoirs is being undertaken in some of the projects covered under PMKSY-AIBP.
   2. Under Surface Minor Irrigation scheme of PMKSY-Har Khet Ko Pani, central assistance is being provided by the Government of India for surface minor irrigation projects, some of which may involve creation of reservoirs.
   3. Watershed Development component of PMKSY is being implemented by Department of Land Resources. Central assistance is being provided under the scheme for activities pertaining to water conservation and rainwater harvesting.
   4. Under Flood Management Programme (FMP) being serviced by this Ministry, central assistance is being provided to the States for taking up works related to river management, flood control, anti-erosion, drainage development, flood proofing works, restoration of damaged flood management works, anti-sea erosion and catchment area treatment.
   5. Focused interventions under Jal Shakti Abhiyan annual campaigns taken up by the Government of India and the State Governments, inter-alia, include rainwater harvesting activities.
   6. 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.

 The details of funds for Tamil Nadu under the various schemes of this Ministry during 2017 onwards, are as below:

(i) PMKSY-AIBP

One project namely “Formation of flood carrier canal from Kannadian Channel to drought prone area by inter-linking of Thamirabarani, Karumeniyar and Nambiyar rivers of Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi Districts" of Tamil Nadu has been included during financial year 2021-22. The central assistance approved for the project under the scheme is Rs. 44.22 crore, out of which Rs. 9.04 crore has been released in 2021-22, which has been utilized.

(ii) PMKSY- Har Khet Ko Pani – Repair, Renovation and Restoration of water bodies:

Eight clusters of water bodies have been receiving financial assistance for repair, renovation and restoration under the above scheme being serviced by this Ministry. Against total Rs.186.53 crore of central assistance sanctioned for these clusters, year 2017 onwards central assistance released, is as below:

1. 2017-18 – Nil.

2. 2018-19 – Rs. 7.03 crore
3. 2019-2020- Rs. 16.75 crore
4. 2020-21 – Rs. 1.25 crore
5. 2021-22 – Rs. 17.43 crore
6. 2022-23 (till date) – Rs. 19.3 crore

This Ministry has not received any proposal pertaining to the city of Chennai for financial assistance under the schemes being serviced by it.

 

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

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AS

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