Renovation of Traditional Water Bodies

• Role of Government of India is limited to being catalytic, providing technical support and in some cases partial financial assistance in terms with the ongoing schemes of Government of India.

Water resources projects

• Planned, funded, executed and maintained by the State Governments themselves as per their own resources and priorities.
• These projects includes:

1. Rainwater harvesting and water conservation,
2. Renovation of traditional water bodies and tanks,
3. Reuse of water and recharge structures,
4. Watershed development and afforestation, etc.

Initiatives by Government of India

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)

• Financial assistance is being provided for-

1. Repair, renovation and restoration of water bodies.
2. Development of ground water based irrigation in sustainable regions.
3. Integrated development of rainfed areas towards soil and water conservation.
4. Regeneration of groundwater, and arresting runoff.
5. Promoting extension activities relating to water harvesting & management.
6. Promoting efficient water conveyance and precision water application devices like drips, sprinklers, pivots, rain-guns in the farm.
7. Construction of micro-irrigation structures to supplement source creation activities.

Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)

• entrusted with the responsibilities of providing scientific inputs for management, exploration, monitoring, assessment, augmentation and regulation of ground water resources of the country.
• Several guidelines and manuals have been prepared for rainwater harvesting.

Plantation/afforestation schemes

• By the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• Implementing in the forest areas with participatory approach.

Jal Shakti Abhiyan

• It was followed by the “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch The Rain” (JSA:CTR) campaign.
• Focused interventions under these annual campaigns taken up regarding-

1. Rainwater harvesting & water conservation,
2. Enumerating, geo-tagging & making inventory of all water bodies,
3. Preparation of scientific plans for water conservation,
4. Setting up Jal Shakti Kendras in all districts,
5. Intensive afforestation and awareness generation.

• Some Other activities also included-

1. Renovation of traditional and other water bodies/tanks,
2. Removal of encroachments of tanks/lakes,
3. De-silting of tanks,

1st Census of Water bodies

• Launched under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme- “Irrigation Census”.
• Launched in convergence with the 6th round of Minor Irrigation Census.
• The objective of the Census of Water bodies is to develop a national database of all water bodies in the country.

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS)

• Provisions for public works relating to natural resource management, water conservation and water harvesting structures.
• To augment and improve ground water like underground dykes, earthen dams, stop dams, check dams and roof top rain water harvesting structures in public buildings.

Rejuvenation of water bodies

• A component under Water Supply sector of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) Scheme under Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.
• It also includes traditional water bodies.
• AMRUT 2.0: to promote circular economy of water through development of city water balance plan for each city focusing on recycle/reuse of treated sewage, rejuvenation of water bodies and water conservation.