Maharashtra has 62 ground-water units which are in semi-critical state: MoS (Jal Shakti)

: Mumbai/ New Delhi, February 10, 2023

As per the joint-assessment of the Dynamic Ground Water Resources by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and State Governments which are done periodically all over the country, the State of Maharashtra has been found to have 11 over-exploited, 62 semi-critical and 7 critical assessment units (Details in Annexure I).

The Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater- 2020 has been prepared by CGWB in consultation with States/UTs which is a macro level plan indicating various structures for the different terrain conditions of the country including estimated cost. The Master Plan envisages construction of about 1.42 crore Rain water harvesting and artificial recharge structures in the country to harness 185 Billion Cubic Metre (BCM) of monsoon rainfall. DPR has to be prepared by the concerned line department of the State Government at an implementable level like any other water supply project or city development project. Implementation has to be done through existing schemes of the State Government only and no separate scheme/fund has been envisaged for implementation. The Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater- 2020 circulated to all the States/UTs for implementation and also hosted at the website of CGWB (http://cgwb.gov.in/Master%20Plan%20to%20GW%20Recharge%202020.pdf )

The CGWB under Ground Water Management and Regulation (GWM&R) scheme has implemented several successful artificial recharge projects in the country for demonstrative purpose. The details are as below:

i.)    Artificial Recharge work in Aspirational Districts (2018-2020):

 Under this activity, suitable site-specific structures like Check Dams, Piezometers, Recharge shaft, and Recharge wells were constructed to harvest runoff water to store at suitable locations for augmenting recharge to the groundwater through WAPCOS.

ii.)    Construction of Bridge Cum Bandhara in Maharashtra (2018-2020):

The government had allocated Rs. 30.29 Cr for the construction of Bridge cum Bandhara (BCB) by using state of art technology, which serves a dual purpose of transportation as well as storage of water on the upstream side for drinking and irrigational needs besides groundwater recharge as a pilot study at the following location:
1.    Sarwadi village, Karanja Teshil, Wardha District
2.    Deoli village, Deoli Tehsil, Wardha District
3.    Jamni village, Selu Tehsil, Wardha District
4.    Tiwasa village, Tiwasa Tehsil, Amravati District
5.    Ajra Phata village, Samudrapur Tehsil, Wardha District
Automatic Radial Gates have been installed at Sarwadi, Tiwasa, Deoli & Jamni & Rubber dam at Ajra Phata to regulate the flow of water in the streams. 
iii.)    Convergence with MGNERGS in Water Stressed areas:

•    CGWB is providing technical guidance in the site selection & design of artificial recharge structures and capacity building of MGNREGS officials in selected 09 Blocks of 08 States as a pilot study. 
•    The work has been initiated under the MGNREGS fund, so far completed in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana & Tamil Nadu (one block each) and the work is under progress in the rest of the blocks of the states. 

iv.)    Groundwater augmentation through artificial recharge:

•    During 2021-22, CGWB has taken up the project on ‘Groundwater augmentation through artificial recharge in identified water stressed areas of Rajasthan, comprising Jodhpur, Jaisalmer & Sikar districts of Rajasthan. The structures include check dams, anicuts and recharge shaft with ponds.

This has been stated in a written reply to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti Shri Prahlad Singh on Thursday ( 9.2.23).

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SC/ Source: Jal Shakti Ministry

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