Policy Update
Nomula Pranay Goud
Background:
The role of the Ministry of Jal Shakti 2019, which was established in May 2019, arose out of the consolidation of two established ministries the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
The Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR) plays a primary role in laying down the policy guidelines and programmes in the field of development, conservation and management of water as a national resource.
It also provides an overarching national view on water planning and coordination as regards various uses of water; water laws and legislations, how inter-state and trans-boundary problems regarding water could be localized, bilateral and multi-lateral co-operations, and broad policy guidelines and programmes to determine how the waters of the nation can be judged, developed and controlled.
DoWR, RD & GR is also assigned to the assessment of water quality, restoration of the river Ganga and its tributaries and also restoration/abatement of pollution in other rivers.
Functions:
1. Water resources development, preservation and control in the country. Irrigation, flood control and dam planning, policy and monitoring. Development of national water policies and guidelines of integrated management of water resources.
2. The regulation of rivers and their catchment areas, such as interstate disputes over rivers (in tribunals and conventions). Surveillance and planning of river valley schemes. Operates under the River Boards Act (1956) and Inter-State River Water Disputes Act (1956).
3. Execution of the Namami Gange Programme regarding the cleaning and rejuvenation of the Ganga. Conservation of rivers and pollution control in the other rivers (via National River Conservation Directorate).
4. Supply safe and adequate drinking water to the entire rural households (Jal Jeevan Mission). The facilitation of water quality monitoring, surveillance and treatment of polluted water. It has established sanitation programmes (rural sanitation until 2019, now subsumed in more general Jal Shakti programmes).
5. Implementation of Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal) on groundwater management at the community level.
6. Management of treaties, negotiations and cooperation with neighboring countries about trans-boundary rivers (Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan, Ganga Treaty with Bangladesh).
Performance:
1. Utilization of Central funds on water resource schemes under the FY 2024-25 saw the utilization at 98.39 percent- a staggering increase as compared to 49.45% during the FY 2023-24 under the CSS. This increased fund execution also shows greater coordination between Centre and states and more rapid on-ground action.
2. Throughout March to December 2023, some highlights of works are – 10.6 lakh water conservation structures and rain water harvesting structures, development/ renovation of 2.5 lakh traditional water bodies, 5.9 lakh reuse and recharge structures,12.4 lakh watershed development activities,6.6 crore saplings planted, setting up 661 Jal Shakti Kendras and 520 district water conservation plans.
3. With the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) funded by the World Bank, physical rehabilitation of 196 of the 198 dams has been undertaken, flooding safety has been upgraded, and project reporting has been carried out. The ministry also declared 75 historic waterworks as ‘Water Heritage Sites’ in 2023, honoring traditional waterworks.
4. With work continuing up to 2026, the Namami Gange project has been associated with growth of infrastructure in the project infrastructure like STPs, interception, riverfront, biodiversity and awareness campaigns up to date, 200 sewerage infrastructure projects of which 1 decentralized modular have been sanctioned at a total cost of 31,810 Crore aside, 116 of such projects have been completed and commissioned and other projects are in different implementation processes.
Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MoDWS) has listed 1674 Gram Panchayats located on the bank of River Ganga in 5 States ( Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal). To construct toilets in these Gram panchayats Rs. 578 Crores have been released to MoDWS. MoDWS has so far constructed 8,53,397 toilets out of 15,27,105 targeted toilets.
7 IITs have undertaken the Ganga river basin Plan and 65 villages have been adopted by 13 IITs to make it model villages.
5. Local Success Stories:
- Davanagere District (Karnataka) under JJM, the portion of the state with 24×7 drinking water to 51 villages, the most in the state, has earned praise by the World Bank.
- Jangaon (Telangana) – Project Mana Jilla Mana Neellu’ Rainwater harvesting campaign reached 7175 low-cost pits surpassing the target. Groundwater levels notched up significantly, earning a compliment from the National Water Mission.
- Odisha – Jal Shakti Abhiyan under which over 4.35 lakh water conservation works were constructed/dug under four years with Jharsuguda has stood amongst the foremost.
Impact:
1. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), 11 crore rural household tap connections grew to almost 14 crore by December 2023 thus adding almost 3 crore new connections within 1 year. By the end of 2024, tap water is expected to reach about 15.37 crore of 19.36 crore rural households in India, with almost 4 crore left to cover.
2. In Jal Shakti Abhiyan, Catch the Rain (JSA:CTR) – In 2023, more than 10 lakh water conservation and rainwater harvesting facilities were developed and significant afforestation and the creation of 661 Jal Shakti Kendra’s, were implemented.
Atal Bhujal Yojana – The solution to ground water has built more than 77,000 structures of conservation where 6.7 lakh hectare land has been covered and 2359 million cubic meters of ground water has been recharged.
3. The First Ken-Betwa Link Project, to be commissioned in October, 2024 is expected to irrigate 10.6 lakh hectares and positively benefit 62 lakh people in Bundelkhand.
Emerging Issues:
Excessive exploitation in states such as Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Approximately 19 per cent of the groundwater operational evaluation units are over-exploited and this causes a reliable water security risk in the future.
Although the figure of more than 15 crore rural households being covered has been passed, then there is a considerable number of rural households amounting to 4 crore still without tap water.
In some habitats, the issues of water quality (arsenic, fluoride, iron contamination) are not resolved. The sources contain weak achilles heel in terms of operation & maintenance (O&M) and sustainability.
Though there has been massive investment, most of the Ganga tributaries are still polluted. Non-completion of sanctioned sewage treatment plants (STPs) in time and insufficient monitoring of industrial effluent. The impact of Ganga model replication to other polluted rivers (i.e. Yamuna, Godavari, Cauvery), remains unimpaired to a larger extent. Disputes with long standing nature over Cauvery, Ravi-Beas, Mahadayi, Krishna and Sutlej-Yamuna Link. Geopolitical and environmental stress occurs on the international river treaties (Indus, Ganga with Bangladesh).
Way Forward:
Reach 100% rural household tap water coverage under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) by closing the 4 crore pending gap. Enhance operation and maintenance mechanisms to sustain taps access in water restricted as well as in hilly regions. Target monitoring water quality, especially water fluoride, arsenic, and iron contamination of ground water.
Cover a greater number of states by expanding Atal Bhujal Yojana because of a close to 19% of evaluated units that are over-exploited. Enhance local community groundwater management that includes real-time data, an online dashboard, and incentives of efficient use. Promote moving away from water-intensive crops in the over-exploited states of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan and towards crop diversification.
Develop a National Water Data Grid comprising ground water, rain, irrigation, and river basin data required to make decisions.
Promote AI/ML-driven flood, drought and groundwater depletion warnings. Innovative technologies on water treatment and reuse: extend links with IITs, CSIR and external agencies to develop new technologies of water treatment and reuse.
Reinforce river basin management authorities to do coordinated interstate planning. Encourage inter basin waters transfers in a more responsible way, with environmental protection (e.g. Ken-Betwa Link Project). Formulate water security indices on a state-wise basis to promote a healthy form of competition and good governance.
Enhance audit and monitoring systems to minimize financial abnormalities raised in the current reports. Improve Centre-State coordination such that there is timely use of funds.
References:
About the Contributor:
Nomula Pranay Goud, master’s student in International Relations at Manipal University Jaipur, and a Research intern at Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI).
Acknowledgement:
The author sincerely thanks Ms.Aasthaba Jadeja, Ms.Bhaktiba Jadeja and the IMPRI team for their valuable support.
Disclaimer:
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