A Central sector scheme “Groundwater Management & Regulation” formulated and implemented during the XI Plan had component of Demonstrative Recharge Projects with an outlay of 100 Crore with the objectives of facilitating improvement in groundwater situation in areas of over-exploited & critical assessment units, urban areas showing steep decline in ground water levels and areas affected by problem of ground water quality deterioration in the country, and capacity building of State Govt. organizations for replication by States under similar hydrogeological environments.
Demonstrative Recharge projects were approved under the scheme in 21 States/ UTs and have been/ are being implemented by the State line departments. State-wise details of demonstrative recharge projects implemented during XI Plan are given below:-
S. No. | State | No. of projects sanctioned | No. of structures | |
1. | Andhra Pradesh | 5 | 119 | 573.41 |
2. | Arunachal Pradesh | 5 | 80 | 493.11 |
3. | Bihar | 2 | 11 | 96.01 |
4. | Chandigarh | 1 | 54 | 776.03 |
5. | Chhattisgarh | 2 | 34 | 268.80 |
6. | Delhi | 1 | 10 | 43.44 |
7. | Gujarat | 2 | 116 | 316.24 |
8. | Himachal Pradesh | 13 | 20 | 250.08 |
9. | Jammu & Kashmir | 5 | 5 | 143.47 |
10. | Jharkhand | 2 | 69 | 191.35 |
11. | Karnataka | 6 | 192 | 588.09 |
12. | Kerala | 7 | 91 | 94.14 |
13. | Madhya Pradesh | 4 | 51 | 860.91 |
14. | Maharashtra | 1 | 49 | 15.15 |
15. | Nagaland | 2 | 64 | 224.14 |
16. | Orissa | 14 | 66 | 464.36 |
17. | Punjab | 3 | 86 | 260.33 |
18. | Rajasthan | 49 | 52 | 404.78 |
19. | Tamil Nadu | 4 | 273 | 526.35 |
20. | Uttar Pradesh | 4 | 189 | 3286.23 |
21. | West Bengal | 1 | 30 | 111.09 |
Total | 133 | 1661 | 9987.51 |
Recharge to groundwater can be facilitated by constructing structures for arresting runoff and water conservation such as stop dams, gabions, gully plugs, ponds etc. These structures allow natural infiltration of runoff to recharge groundwater. Such methods also formed a component of demonstrative recharge projects in the scheme.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Water Resources & Minority Affairs Shri Vincent H. Pala in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha.