The Central Government has released a total of Rs 4,369 crore as grants to Gujarat under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan for rain water harvesting over the last three years.
Centre has approved 188 projects costing Rs 651 crore towards water body rejuvenation projects for Gujarat under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT 2.0). Under the Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana, the Centre has released a total of Rs 218 crore for Gujarat over last three plus years. This information was provided by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Raj Bhushan Choudhary, in the Rajya Sabha on July 29, 2024 while replying to a question raised by RS MP Shri Parimal Nathwani.
The minister also stated that in 2024, under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain programme in Gujarat, 2,855 water conservation & rain water harvesting works were completed, 3,305 renovation of traditional water bodies were done, 6,009 re-use & recharge structures were set up and 15,848 watershed development works were completed.
Parimal Nathwani wanted details of work undertaken at rural as well as urban level to promote rain water harvesting as well as the funds allocated under various schemes and whether any incentives are being offered to States for promotion of rain water harvesting.
According to the statement of the minister, water conservation through rain water harvesting is one of the foremost priorities of the Government and the Central Government supplements the efforts of the States/UTs through technical and financial support as Water is a State subject. Of the approved plan size of Rs 77,650 crore for the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation & Urban Transformation (AMRUT) & AMRUT 2.0 Mission, a significant amount of Rs 39,011 crore has been allocated for water supply sector. So far, 3,543 water supply projects costing about Rs 1,13,358.44 crore have been approved by Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs. Additionally, 2,713 water body rejuvenation projects worth Rs 5432.21 crore have been approved by MoHUA under AMRUT 2.0.
