Madam, on behalf of the All India Trinamool Congress, I rise to speak on the Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Jal Shakti for the year 2025-26. I would like to express my concern regarding the functioning of the Ministry of Jal Shakti. It was envisioned that this Ministry would be effective in addressing India’s multifaceted water challenges, including water scarcity, sanitation and the provision of clean drinking water. Madam, water is the driving force of nature. It is the most precious resource and abundant compound on earth’s surface, covering more than 70 per cent of the planet. But India has only four per cent of water whereas it is home to 17 per cent of the world population. Now, it is evident that the ratio of availability and usage is not at the desired level. The solution lies in smart usage. Unfortunately, it has clearly failed in doing so. It is highlighted in the 2018 report published by the NITI Aayog that at least 21 major Indian cities, including New Delhi, were projected to exhaust their groundwater resources by 2020. If that is the case, I would like to know from the hon. Minister how we are going to move forward from here. Madam, the Ministry has seen a significant rise in the funds allocated to it. For the financial year of 2024-25, Rs.98,418 crore was given. In the Union Budget, for the fiscal year 2025-26, the Ministry of Jal Shakti has been allocated Rs.99,503 crore. These allocations represent approximately 1.964 per cent of the total Government expenditure, positioning the Ministry of Jal Shakti among the key sectors in terms of budgetary priority. Madam, despite this, there is a significant underutilization of this fund. So, I would like to ask the hon. Minister the reason for non-utilization of the fund. The ambitious Har Ghar Jal initiative that aims to provide every rural household with tap water by 2024 has now been extended till 2028. I would like to know from the hon. Minister why the Government needs four years more to fulfil its target. I would also like to highlight an important issue. The Ministry claimed that 78 per cent of Anganwadi centres had access to clean tap water under the Jal Jeevan Mission. However, this was based on a total of 11.11 lakh centres, while the Ministry of Women and Child Development reported that there are 13.87 lakh operational centres as of March 2021. Is there a valid explanation for this glaring mismatch in number? Such differences raise doubt about the accuracy of the Ministry’s data and the transparency of its reporting. This means that about 2.75 lakh centres were left out, bringing the actual coverage down to around 70 per cent. The Ministry’s focus on large-scale water infrastructure projects, such as river interlinking project, which aims to connect 37 rivers and extensive dam construction, gives rise to various environmental and social concerns. These projects can harm ecosystems, displace communities and lead to loss of biodiversity. I urge the Ministry to focus on sustainable communitybased water management instead of large infrastructure projects that could cause long-term damage. … Madam, my Party has given 15 minutes for me. I would like to know from the hon. Minister whether the waters of the Ganga River in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, during the ongoing Maha Kumbh were completely clean? As per the National Green Tribunal’s directives, millions of devotees should have been informed about the quality of the water they were about to dip into. We have all seen the reports showing dangerously high levels of bacteria in the water, making it unsafe for bathing. If the Minister has received this information, I would like to know from the Government what steps the Government is taking regarding cleaning the Ganga Triveni Sangam. Madam, I belong to the Sundarbans Constituency. The Sundarbans river embankment issue is a major challenge due to the region’s fragile ecosystem. The region faced constant threats from cyclones like Amphan, Aila, Bulbul, Yaas and many more. The Government of India sanctioned Rs 2,103.64 crore for FMP schemes, namely Sundarban Embankments Reconstruction Project, KaliaghaiKapaleswari-Baghai Basin Scheme etc., The Government of West Bengal submitted a reimbursement project worth Rs. 204.07 crore, but only Rs. 44.15 crore has so far been reimbursed. So, I would like to request the hon. Minister to release the balance amount, that is, Rs. 159.92 crore at the earliest. I would like to request the hon. Minister to implement the Ghatal Master Plan which is a long-pending demand of the people in the two flood-affected districts. The dredging of Bhagirathi, Hooghly and Ganga at the upstream of Farakka Barrage to maintain navigability at Kolkata port was the main objective of construction of Farakka Barrage and Ganga Water Treaty, 1996. So, I would like to request the hon. Minister to release the fund. The three North Bengal districts, namely, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri, which are criss-crossed by more than 50 rivers having their origin in Bhutan, are mainly responsible for erosion and flood. So, I would like to request the hon. Minister that since the Government of West Bengal has already sent a proposal and requested for sanctioning of fund on 8th August, 2024, you should constitute an Indo-Bhutan Joint River Commission at the earliest to formulate and recommend flood control works and flood warning system. Being a representative of Sundarbans, I would like to request the hon. Minister to sanction more fund for construction and maintenance of the entire river embankment of Sundarbans to protect the people of Sundarbans. Thank you, Madam.
