QUESTION

(a) wheth groundwater level assessments and heli-borne survey of water resources have been done for the
State of Haryana, if so, the details thereof;

(b) the number of rural households provided with tap water connection in the State of Haryana since 2020;

(c) the steps taken by Government towards improving the drinking water quality in the country and in the State
of Haryana; and

(d) the steps taken towards rainwater harvesting in the State of Haryana, the details of subsidy schemes in this
regard, if any, and the details of expenditure incurred on this in the State of Haryana, year-wise since 2019?

ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI(SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU)

(a) Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) is periodically monitoring the ground water levels throughout the
Country including Haryana on a regional scale, through a network of monitoring wells. During the November
2022, the depth to water level in the State of Haryana ranged from less than 2 metres to more than 40 metres
below ground level (mbgl).Out of the total 268 wells monitored, 52.6% wells had depth to water level
(measured in terms of mbgl – metres below ground level) in the range of 0-10 metres, which is an indicator of
ease of access to ground water.

Heliborne Transient Electromagnetic (H-TEM) survey was conducted in parts of Haryana State in which
an area of 2,644 sq. km falling in parts of Yamunanagar and Kurukshetra Districts was covered. In the areas
surveyed, sub-surface lithological information has been inferred and a total of 158 nos. of potential
groundwater drilling and 122 Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) sites have been identified.

(b) Since August, 2019, Government of India in partnership with States, is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission
(JJM) – Har Ghar Jal with the aim to enable every rural household in the country, to have assured potable
water, in adequate quantity of prescribed quality on regular and long-term basis, through tap water connection
during the mission period. Since the launch of the Scheme, as informed by the state government of Haryana, an
additional 12.75 lakh rural households in Haryana have been provided with tap water connection. Further, as
on date all 30.41 lakh rural households in Haryana have been provided with tap water connection.

(c) Water being a State subject, the responsibility for initiating and implementing suitable measures for
utilization and conservation of water resources, which includes improving the drinking water quality, lies
primarily with the concerned state governments. Government of India on its part extends necessary technical
support and financial assistance through various schemes and projects.
Under JJM, States/UTs have been advised to carry out testing of water quality on a periodic basis, i.e.
once in a year for chemical and physical parameters, and twice in a year for bacteriological parameters and
take remedial action wherever necessary, to ensure that the water supplied to households is of prescribed
quality. As reported by States/UTs, as on 12.12.2023,there are 2,111 drinking water quality testing laboratories
at different levels viz. State, District, sub-division and/ or block level in the country. Some of the other
activities are as follows:

i. To encourage water quality testing to ensure potable drinking water supply, States/ UTs have opened
water quality testing laboratories to general public for testing of their water samples at a nominal rate.
ii. States/UTs have been advised to identify and train 5 persons, preferably women, in every village to
conduct water quality testing using Field Testing Kits (FTKs)/ bacteriological vials at village level.
iii. To enable States/ UTs to test water samples for water quality, and for sample collection, reporting,
monitoring and surveillance of drinking water sources, an online JJM— Water Quality Management
Information System (WQMIS) portal, has been developed. The State— wise details of water quality
test reported through WQMIS are available in public domain on JJM Dashboard and can also be
accessed at https://ejalshakti.gov.in/WQMIS/Main/report

iv. In addition to the above, CGWB constructs Arsenic free wells in Arsenic affected areas using the
cement sealing technology for tapping contamination free aquifers and also provides technical
assistance to state departments in Fluoride mitigation. The successful wells have been handed over to
the State Government for appropriate utilization.
v. Further, the ground water quality data generated by CGWB during ground water quality monitoring
every year and special studies are being shared with the State Governments, including Haryana for
policy making and implementation.
vi. Ministry of Jal Shakti is implementing several programmes for recharging ground water and water
conservation which are expected to improve the underground water table, thus improving the quality
of ground water. Some of the such initiatives are Jal Shakti Abhiyan, Amrut Sarovar Mission, Atal
Bhujal Yojana, MNREGS, PMKSY-WDC etc.

(d) Jal Shakti Abhiyan(JSA) is being implemented across the country since 2019, including in the state of
Haryana (since 2021) with the primary aim to effectively harvest the monsoon rainfall through creation of
artificial recharge structures, watershed management, recharge and reuse structures, intensive afforestation and
awareness generation etc. As informed by the govt. of Haryana, various rain water harvesting and water
conservation works like creation of check dams, farm ponds, roof top rain water harvesting, soak pit, percolation
tank, gully plug etc. have been completed in the state with a total expenditure of about Rs. 88.64 crores.
Ministry of Jal Shakti is implementing Atal Bhujal Yojana in 7 states, including Haryana, under which incentive
funds to the tune of Rs. 87.13 crore have been utilised for rain water harvesting, construction of farm ponds and
rejuvenation and renovation of ponds in the state.

Further, under MNREGS also, the central govt. funds rain water harvesting and other water conservation
works through convergence. As per the information available, an amount of Rs.226.52 Cr has been released
towards such works in Haryana in the last 5 years. Year wise details are provided in the Annexure to this reply.

                                                 ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (d) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1680 TO

BE          ANSWERED          IN          RAJYA          SABHA          ON               18.12.2023               REGARDING “GROUNDWATER LEVEL ASSESSMENT”.