December 5, 2019
Pratima Mondal asks a Question on utilisation of water resources
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Sir, Question Number 241.
Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:
(a) the quantity of river water put to use in the country;
(b) the details of schemes/programmes undertaken for proper utilisation of water resources including river water;
(c) whether any data is available with regard to the loss of water resources in the country; and
(d) if so, the details thereof, State-wise?
FIRST SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
With reference to the minister’s reply stating that national perspective plan, I would like to say that the river-linking initiative was the dream project of our former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, when a plan to connect 14 perennial rivers of the north, like Ganga, Brahmaputra, Narmada, to 16 non-perennial rivers of the South, was taken.
In 2017, 30 projects were initiated that would eradicate floods and drought in the country and also reduce water wastage. Ken-Betwa, Damanganga-Pinjal, Par-Tapi-Narmada projects and two more North Koel Reservoir projects in Jharkhand and Pancheshwar Project in Uttarakhand were to be started in 2017. I would like to know from the hon’ble minister, through you, Sir, the current Status of the projects.
SECOND SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Sir, according to Central Water Commission’s 2017 data, between 1984-85 and 2014-15 water in the Indus has dropped by 27.78 billion cubic meter. Similarly, between 2004-05 and 2014-15 the catchment area of Indus reduced by 1 per cent and that of Ganga by 2.4 per cent, Brahmaputra by 0.6 per cent.
So what steps has the Government taken to safeguard the river basins of the country? Or else, dry periods and droughts are inevitable.
Thank you, Sir.
