While answering the question regarding the he regions and cities across the country including Haryana that are likely to run out of groundwater by 2030, put up by the parliamentarian Kartikeya Sharma, the written reply by the Jal Shakti ministry stated:
“Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) is periodically monitoring the ground water levels throughout the country on a regional scale, through a network of monitoring wells. In order to assess the decline in water level on a long-term basis, the water level data (of the country including Haryana) collected by CGWB during November 2022 have been compared with the decadal average (Nov 2012 – Nov 2021). Analysis of water level data indicates that about 61.1% of the wells monitored have registered rise in ground water levels.
Further, to assess the decline in water level on a long-term basis, the water level data of urban areas including 55 cities (of the country including Haryana) collected by CGWB during November 2022 have been compared with the decadal average (Nov 2012 – Nov 2021). Analysis of water level data indicates that about 59.8% of the wells monitored have registered rise in ground water levels.
However, as per available information, the ground water levels in certain parts of the country including certain cities are declining because of continuous withdrawal necessitated by increased demand of fresh water for various uses, vagaries of rainfall, increased population, industrialization & urbanization etc.”
In another part of the question, he asked the status of Atal Bhujal Yojana in Haryana and by when it will achieve its goal.
To this, their answer was:
«In Haryana, Atal Bhujal Yojana is being implemented in 1656 Gram Panchayats (GPs) of 36 Blocks falling under 14 districts. The communities in all 1656 GPs in Haryana have been mobilized and their capacities have been built up through focused Information, Education & Communication (IEC) and training programs in terms of ground water data collection and its importance in water budgeting for informed and decentralized decision making. 1656 Community led Water Security Plans (WSPs), having details about water budget, proposed demand side and supply side interventions have been prepared in Haryana. Implementation of the WSPs is being done in the field with active involvement of communities through convergence of various Central / State Government Schemes.
Further, the targeted goals of Atal Bhujal Yojana is likely to be fulfilled during the implementation period i.e. FY 2020-21 to 2024-25.»
