Center cannot notify Compulsory Water Harvesting Law

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT

RAJYA SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3337

TO BE ANSWERED ON DECEMBER 15, 2016

COMPULSORY WATER HARVESTING LAW

No. 3337 SHRI MAHENDRA SINGH MAHRA:

Will the Minister of URBAN DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

(a) whether the water table has reached a very alarming level in urban areas of the country;

(b) it so, whether Government would formulate a compulsory water harvesting law to raise the water table in urban areas;

(c) if not, the reasons therefor; and

(d) how Government would restore the receding ground water in urban areas to a normal level, the details threof?

ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT

(RAO INDERJIT SINGH)

(a): c

(b) Water being State subject, it is up to the State Governments to make rain water harvesting mandatory by enacting laws etc. These include municipalities urban areas also. So far 30 States/UTs have made rain water harvesting mandatory in their building bye laws. Further, Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) constituted under Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986 has issued advisory to States/UT Governments, Central Ministries/ Departments for adopting rainwater harvesting / artificial recharge to maintain the ground water level in the Country. Ministry of Urban Development has also notified the Model Building Bye Laws (MBBL), 2016 in March, 2016 which is an advisory document for the State Governments. MBBL, 2016 have recommended the setting up of Rain Water Harvesting Structures and Monitoring Cell in the Urban Local Bodies.

(c): Does not arise.

(d): Some of the other measures taken by Central Government to support the efforts of State Governments and Local Bodies torestore the receding ground water level includes:

• Special focus through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for water conservation and water harvesting structures to augment ground water. Priority has been given for construction of farm ponds in the year 2016-17 to harvest rain water.
• Activities under the ‘Watershed Development’ component of the ‘Pradhan MantriKrishiSinchaaiYojana (PMKSY)’, inter-alia, includes rainwater harvesting.
• CGWB does Aquifer Mapping and Management programme under the scheme of Ground Water Management and Regulation.
• Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR, RD & GR) has circulated a Model Bill to all the States/UTs to enable them to enact suitable ground water legislation for its regulation and development which includes provision of rain water harvesting.
• “Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Ground Water in India” has been prepared, which envisages construction of different types of Artificial Recharge and Rainwater Harvesting structures in the Country. The Master Plan has been circulated to all State Governments for implementation.

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Annexure

Annexure is referred to Part (a) of RajyaSabha Unstarred Question No. 3337 for answer on 15.12.2016 regarding Compulsory water harvesting law.

Depth to Water Level and Distribution of Percentage of Wells for the Period of Pre-monsoon, 2016 in Metro cities