Standing Committee on Water Resources (2019-20)

STANDING COMMITTEE ON WATER RESOURCES

(2019-20)

SEVENTEENTH LOK SABHA

MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI – DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION

DEMANDS FOR GRANTS (2019-20)

FIRST REPORT

LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT

NEW DELHI

December, 2019 / Agrahayana,1941 (Saka)

FIRST REPORT

STANDING COMMITTEE ON WATER RESOURCES (2019-20)

(SEVENTEENTH LOK SABHA)

MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI – DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION

DEMANDS FOR GRANTS (2019-20)

Presented to Lok Sabha on 5.12.2019 Laid on the Table of Rajya Sabha on 5.12.2019

LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT NEW DELHI

December, 2019 / Agrahayana,1941 (Saka)

W . R. C. No. 1

Price : Rs.

Published under Rule 382 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha (Fourteenth Edition) and Printed by CONTENTS

Page Nos. COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE (2019-20) (ii)

INTRODUCTION (iv)

ABBREVIATIONS (v) REPORT PART I

NARRATION ANALYSIS

I. Budgetary Allocations 1

A. Analysis of Demands for Grants 2

B. Utilization of Budgetary resources 3

C. Launching of new Schemes/Programmes 5

D. Distribution of Legislative Power between the Union and the States 6

II. Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Programme 7

A. Dam Safety 9

B. Dam Safety Bill 11

III. Namami Gange 12

IV. Interlinking of rivers 15

V. Ground water management 16

A. Ground Water Management and Regulation Scheme (GWM&R) 16 B. National Aquifer Mapping & Management Programme ( NAQUIM) 17 C. Aquifer Mapping 18 D. Water User Efficiency 19

VI. National Projects 20 PART II Observations/Recommendations 23

APPENDICES I. Minutes of the Second Sitting of the Committee held on 23.10.2019 35 II. Minutes of the Fourth Sitting of the Committee held on 29.11.2019 39

(i) COMPOSITON OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON WATER RESOURCES (2019-20)

Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal - Chairperson

LOK SABHA

2. Shri Vijay Baghel 3. Shri Bhagirath Chaudhary 4. Shri Nandkumar Singh Chauhan 5. Shri Nihal Chand Chauhan 6. Shri Chandra Prakash Choudhary 7. Shri Guman Singh Damor 8. Dr. Heena Vijaykumar Gavit 9. Dr. K. Jayakumar 10. Shri Kaushal Kishore 11. Shri P. Raveendranath Kumar 12. Shri Kuruva Gorantla Madhav 13. Shri Hasmukhbhai Somabhai Patel 14. Shri Sanjay Kaka Patil 15. Shri S. Ramalingam 16. Shri Dipsinh Shankarsinh Rathod 17. Shri Prajwal Revanna 18. Ms. Nusrat Jahan Ruhi 19. Ms. Agatha K. Sangma 20. Shri D. K. Suresh 21. Shri A. Narayana Swamy

R AJYA SABHA

22. Sardar Balwinder Singh Bhunder 23. Shri Harshvardhan Singh Dungarpur 24. Mir Mohammad Fayaz 25. Dr. Kirodi Lal Meena 26. Shri Madhusudan Mistry 27. A. Mohammedjan 28. Shri K. Bhabananda Singh 29. Shri Rewati Raman Singh 30. Shri Narendra Kumar Swain 31. Shri Pradeep Tamta

(ii) SECRETARIAT

1. Dr. Preeti Srivastava - Joint Secretary 2. Shri Raju Srivastava - Director 3. Shri Gaurav Jain - Assistant Committee Officer

(iii) I NTRODUCTION

I, the Chairperson, Standing Committee on Water Resources (2019-20) having been authorized by the Committee to submit the Report on their behalf, present the First Report on Demands for Grants (2019-20) of the Ministry of Jal Shakti - Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

2. The Demands for Grants have been examined by the Committee under Rule 331E(1)(a) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.

3. The Committee took evidence of the representatives of the Ministry of Jal Shakti - Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation on 23.10.2019.

4. The Report was considered and adopted by the Committee at their sitting held on 29.11.2019.

5. The Committee wish to express their thanks to the representatives of the Ministry of Jal Shakti - Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation for providing them the requisite written material and for making oral depositions before the Committee in connection with the examination of the subject.

6. The Committee would also like to place on record their sense of deep appreciation for the assistance rendered to them by the officials of the Lok Sabha Secretariat attached to the Committee.

NEW DELHI Dr. SANJAY JAISWAL, 2 0 November, 2019 Chairperson, 29 Kartika, 1941 (Saka) Standing Committee on Water Resources

(iv) ABBREVIATIONS BBMB : Bhakra Beas Management Board BE : Budget Estimate CGWB : Central Ground Water Board CWC : Central Water Commission CWRDM : Centre for Water Resources Development and Management DDWS : Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation DoWR, RD & GR : Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation DPR : Detailed Project Report DRIP : Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Programme DVC : Damodar Valley Corporation DWRIS : Development of Water Resources Information System EAP : Emergency Action Plan EBR : Extra Budgetary Resources FR : Feasibility Report GWM&R : Ground Water Management and Regulation HO : Hydrological Observation IAs : Implementing Agencies IIT : Indian Institute of Technology ILR : Interlinking of Rivers LBC : Left Bank Canal MLD : Million Litres Per Day MoDW&S : Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation MoEF&CC : Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change MoJS : Ministry of Jal Shakti MoWR, RD & GR : Ministry of Water Resources River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation NABARD : National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development NAQUIM : National Aquifer Mapping & Management Programme NBWUE : National Bureau of Water Use Efficiency NGP : National Ganga Plan NGRBA : National Ganga River Basin Authority NHP : National Hydrology Project NHPC : Formerly known as National Hydroelectric Power Corporation NLSC : National Level Steering Committee NMCG : National Mission for Clean Ganga NP : National Project NRCD : National River Conservation Directorate NRCP : National River Conservation Plan NWDA : National Water Development Agency O&M : Operation and Maintenance PFR : Pre-Feasibility Report PL : Price List PMKSY : Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana PWD : Public Works Department RBC : Right Bank Canal RBM : River Basin Management RE : Revised Estimate STPs : Sewage Treatment Plants TC : Technical Committee UTs : Union Territories WRD : Water Resources Department (v) PART I NARRATION ANALYSIS

I. Budgetary Allocations

Water is a natural resource, a basic necessity for all living beings on the planet. It is essential for food production, food security, alleviation of poverty and sustainable development in the country. Integrated water management is essential for environmental sustenance, sustainable economic development of the country and for bettering human life.

1.2 With an aim to integrate water resources management under one umbrella so that the issues relating to water are dealt in a holistic manner, the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) has been formed by the Government of India, integrating the erstwhile Ministry of Water Resources River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR, RD & GR) and the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MoDW&S). Now, the newly formed Ministry of Jal Shakti has two Departments, namely, the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR) and the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS).

1.3 The DoWR, RD & GR is responsible for the development, conservation and management of water as a national resource; overall national perspective of water planning and coordination in relation to diverse uses of water and interlinking of rivers; general policy, technical assistance, research and development training and all matters relating to irrigation, including multi-purpose, major, medium, minor and emergency irrigation works; hydraulic structures for navigation and hydro-power; tube wells and groundwater exploration and exploitation; protection and preservation of ground water resources; conjunctive use of surface and ground water, irrigation for agricultural purposes, water management, command area development; management of reservoirs and reservoir sedimentation; flood (control)

1 management, drainage, drought proofing, water logging and sea erosion problems and dam safety, etc. The National Water Resources Council is also under this Department. Besides, regulation and development of inter-State rivers and river valleys are also governed by this Department. Implementation of Awards of Tribunals through Schemes, River Boards, Water Laws, Legislation, Water Quality Assessment and Cadre Control and Management of the Central Water Engineering Services (Group A) also fall under the purview of the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation. Besides, with the formation of Ministry of Jal Shakti, the subject matter of all rivers under National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD) hitherto functioning under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has also been put under the Department of Water Resources River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

1.4 The detailed Demands for Grants in Demand No. 60 of the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD&GR) was laid on the table of Lok Sabha on 11 July, 2019. A total budgetary provision of Rs.8,245.25 crore has been made for the year 2019-20. The following table shows the allocation of Budget for the DoWR, RD and GR for the year 2019-20:-

(Rs. in crore/net) Revenue 7,853.78 Capital 391.47 Total 8245.25 NABARD 8217.79* * Projections for Extra Budgetary Resources (EBR) to be raised from NABARD. However, EBR of Rs. 4882 crore has been approved for raising by Ministry of Finance. However, as on 31.10.2019, no amount has been raised.

A. Analysis of Demands for Grants

1.5 The total budgetary allocation for the DoWR, RD and GR is Rs. 8,245.25 crore. Further there is a provision of loan of Rs. 8217.79 crore from NABARD. However, EBR of Rs. 4882

2 crore has been approved for raising by Ministry of Finance of which no amount has been raised by the Department as on 31.10.2019. The following table shows the comparison of Budget Allocation this fiscal year as against the last fiscal year:-

(Rs. in crore) Year Revenue Capital Total 2018-19 8,152.14 707.86 8860.00 2019-20 7,853.78 391.47 8245.25

1.6 Total Demand for the fiscal year 2019-20 is Rs. 8245.25 crore, consisting of Rs. 7,853.78 crore under Revenue Section and Rs. 391.47 crore under Capital Section. In comparison to last year, there is a decrease of Rs. 298.36 crore in the Revenue Section and Rs. 316.39 crore in Capital Section. Thus the total Demand has decreased by Rs. 614.75 crore for the current fiscal year.

B. Utilization of Budgetary Resources

1.7 On being asked by the Committee to furnish reasons for reduction in the allocated funds by Rs. 614.75 crore at Budget Estimate (BE) stage during the current fiscal year, i.e., 2019-20 over the previous fiscal year 2018-19, the Department, in its written submission, stated as follows:-

"The major reason is reduction in allocations under the National Ganga Plan (NGP) where against BE 2018-19 of Rs.2250 crore, an allocation of Rs.700 crore has been kept under BE 2019-20. This is primarily on account of unspent balances available with the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) due to slow off-take by the States".

1.8 When the Committee enquired about the reasons for slow off-take by the States, the Department, in its written submission stated:-

"As is common with most infrastructure projects, various hurdles like availability of encroachment free land for construction, applicable permits, statutory clearances, NOC from various department, etc., were faced and, thus, in the first phase, the physical progress as well as fund expenditure in the projects were at slow pace under Namami Gange projects. However, with regular follow-up with State agencies, these issues have been resolved and work progress has improved substantially".

1.9 The Budget Allocations and utilization in respect of the DoWR,RD and GR for the last three fiscal years are as follows:- (Rs. in crore) Year Budget Estimates Revised Estimates Actual Expenditure 2016-17 6201.21 4755.50 4714.13 2017-18 6887.00 7660.00 5313.47 2018-19 8860.00 7612.52 7422.08

1.10 When the Committee further desired to know the reasons for continual under utilization of funds, the Department, in its written submission, stated as under :-

(i) In case of Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Programme (DRIP), the major shortfall was on account of non achievement of financial target proposed by DVC during all these years. The reasons were, primarily, non-award of tenders of Hydro- Mechanical of Panchet due to poor response of bidders, also delayed start by the Civil Contractor, non finalization of material in time in respect of grouting works at Konar dams, etc., and other contractual issues.

(ii) In case of River Basin Management (RBM), the major reasons for slow pace of expenditure are difficulties in collection and transportation of boulders to work sites due to ban on blasting boulder quarries, disturbances/resistance by local organizations/residents, unseasonal rainfall and high flood level of river, unavailability of forest clearances, lack of consensus among various states on Interlinking of Rivers programme, FRs of Himalayan Component could not be completed due to various international issues involved.

(iii) In case of Development of Water Resources Information System (DWRIS), non- finalisation of tenders for outsourcing of manpower services for HO sites was the main reason for under-utilization.

(iv) In case of National Hydrology Project (NHP), under-utilisation of funds was mainly due to time taken in fulfilling number of pre-requisites like signing of Memorandum of Agreement with the Implementing Agencies (IAs) including Financial Management Guidelines, Project Implementation Programme, Annual Work Plan, Annual Procurement Plan, and Opening of Separate Bank Account dedicated to the NHP, non-fulfillment of conditions of AWPs, delay in finalization of contracts.

(v) Under utilization of funds in National Water Mission Scheme is mainly due to absence of full time Mission Director and shortage of manpower to carry out the activities contemplated under National Water Mission Scheme.

C. Launching of new Schemes/Programmes

1.11 On being asked by the Committee about the new Programmes/Schemes launched by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation during the last fiscal year, the Department, in its written reply, stated:-

“The following new Schemes were initiated by the MOWR,RD&GR (now DOWR,RD&GR) in the FY 2018-19.

(i) Special Package for completion of Irrigation Projects to address agrarian distress in Vidarbha and Marathwada and other chronically drought prone areas of Rest of Maharashtra.

(ii) Relining of Sirhind Feeder from RD 119700 to 447927 and relining of Rajasthan Feeder from RD 179000 to 496000 in Punjab.

(iii) Funding of Implementation of Shahpurkandi Dam (National Project) on River Ravi in Punjab State."

1.12 When further asked by the Committee whether there was any proposal for extending the Special Package to distressed in Vidarbha, Marathwada and other chronically drought prone areas of rest of Maharashtra, and other parts/regions of the country, the Committee were informed that Special package sanctioned for Maharashtra covers project benefitting Vidarbha, Marathwada and other chronically drought prone areas of rest of Maharashtra.

D. Distribution of Legislative Power between the Union and the States

1.13 On being asked about the initiatives taken by the Department to bring 'Water' under the Concurrent list from the State List, the Department, in its written submission, stated as follows:-

“The proposal to bring water in the Union/Concurrent List was earlier examined by the two Commissions on Centre-State Relations chaired by Justice R. S. Sarkaria and Justice M. M. Punchhi respectively. However, the proposal did not find favour with either of the two Commissions.

Further, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (now DoWR, RD & GR) sought comments of the Ministry of Law and Justice in August 2016 for shifting of Entry 17, which includes water, from List II (State List) to the List III (Concurrent List) of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. The Legislative Department has opined that since there exists a carefully crafted and delicate balance between the two entries (Entry 56 of List I and entry 17 of List II), it would be wise not to remove/transfer entry 17 from the State List to the Concurrent List. However, it would be pragmatic to have a separate entry under the Concurrent List to deal with matters relating to water conservation, water preservation, water management, etc.

National Water Policy 2012 emphasizes the need for comprehensive legislation for optimum development of inter-State rivers and river valleys to facilitate inter-State coordination ensuring scientific planning of land and water resources taking basin/sub- basin as unit with unified perspectives of water in all its forms (including precipitation, soil moisture, ground and surface water) and ensuring holistic and balanced development of both the catchment and the command areas. Such legislation needs, inter alia, to deal with and enable establishment of basin authorities, comprising party States, with appropriate powers to plan, manage and regulate utilization of water resource in the basins.

A new legal framework for regulation and development of Inter-State Rivers and River Basins is being considered by the Central Government. In this regard, the Central Government had constituted a Committee under the Chairmanship of Justice T.S. Doabia, former Judge, M.P. and J&K High Courts to study the activities required for optimal development of a river basin and changes required in the existing River Boards Act, 1956 for achievement of the same. The Committee had submitted its report on 06.11.2012 which included a draft bill, namely River Basin Management Bill, for amending the existing River Boards Act, 1956.

Subsequently, a meeting of Group of Experts under the Chairmanship of Secretary, (MoWR, RD&GR) was held on 25.07.2017, wherein it was decided that a three member smaller Group be set up to examine the Draft River Management Bill in detail considering experiences in functioning of existing River Boards. The Group finalized the draft of River Basin Management Bill, 2017 and submitted to the Ministry. Thereafter, the draft has been finalized by Ministry.

Legislative Department has recommended to hold pre-legislative consultations. Accordingly, States & UTs, Central Ministries/ Departments have been requested for comments on the draft RBM Bill, 2018. The Bill has been uploaded on the website of the Ministry for soliciting public opinion. In this regard, a one day Brainstorming Session/Conference was held on 03.06.2019 for discussion of the stake holders on the draft RBM Bill, 2018. The draft Bill proposes to establish 13 River Basin Authorities for various river basins of the country. It is expected that enactment of the proposed legislation would result in optimum integrated development and management of inter-State River waters with basin approach and will result in change of environment from the one of conflicts to that of cooperation.

The draft Bill is under consideration of the Ministry.”

II. Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Programme (DRIP)

1.14 The Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Programme (DRIP) has been taken up with World Bank Assistance as a part of continuous strengthening of dam safety activities in the country. Provision under this Scheme is for Central Water Commission (CWC) and Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) components. The total project cost is about Rs. 2100 crore and has become effective from 18th April, 2012 for implementation over a period of six years. However, the Government of India has approved the revised cost of DRIP amounting to Rs. 3446 crore and the revised year of closure is June 2020.

1.15 The Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Programme (DRIP) aims at rehabilitation and improvement of about 223 large Dams in Seven States (Kerala - 53, Madhya Pradesh - 25, Odisha-26, Tamil Nadu- 89, Karnataka - 22, Jharkhand - 3 and Uttarakhand - 5) with the World Bank funding.

1.16 On being asked about the reasons for decrease in allocation of funds at BE stage for the fiscal year 2019-20 vis-a-vis BE for the fiscal year 2018-19 under this Scheme, the Department replied as under:-

"DRIP is a World Bank funded Scheme with State (back to back funding arrangement) and Central Component. The total cost of the Project is Rs 3466 crore, out of which the Central Component is only CWC (Rs 270 crore) and DVC (Rs 143 crore). Hence, major part of the outlay is for the States, with CWC and DVC Component only routed through the Central Budget.

The allocation in 2018-19 (BE) was Rs 124 crore. However, it was reduced to Rs 75 crore due to slow progress of activities of CWC including Comprehensive Risk Assessment of 4 Dams, Capacity building of IIT Kanpur and CWRDM Kozhikode and contractual issues with the DVC. Considering the pace of expenditure and likely expenditure in the current financial year and also to avoid surrender of funds later, a provision of Rs 89.37 crore has been made in 2019-20 (BE). As the ongoing Project is scheduled to be closed in June 2020, and majority of the activities under the Central Component have been completed earlier, downward trend in budgetary allocations as well as financial spending would continue".

1.17 When the Committee asked about the various problems/bottlenecks being faced by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation in implementation of this Programme and corresponding measures to remove those, the Department informed the Committee as under:-

“The important bottlenecks include the frequent transfer of officials of State Project Management Units by the State Implementing Agencies, the limited capacity of a few partner agencies regarding issues related to preparation of bid documents, evaluation as well as contract management, etc. So far, 148 training programmes have been conducted for the officials of State partners to address the Capacity Building aspects. The DRIP has the robust system for performance review and monitoring at various levels like National Level Steering Committee (NLSC), Technical Committee (TC) and World Bank Review Mission".

A. Dam Safety

1.18 In regard to State-wise details of the large Dams completed as well as under construction, the Department, in its written submission, stated as under:-

Sl. State Dams Dams under Total No. completed Construction 1. Andaman and Nicobar Island 2 -- 2 2. Andhra Pradesh 149 17 166 3. Arunachal Pradesh 1 3 4 4. Assam 3 1 4 5. Bihar 24 2 26 6. Chandigarh 0 -- 0 7. Chhattisgarh 249 9 258 8. Dadra and Nagar Haveli 0 -- 0 9. Daman and Diu 0 -- 0 10. Goa 5 -- 5 11. Gujarat 620 12 632 12. Haryana 1 -- 1 13. Himachal Pradesh 19 1 20 14. Jammu and Kashmir 15 2 17 15. Jharkhand 55 24 79 16. Karnataka 230 2 232 17. Kerala 61 -- 61 18. Lakshadweep 0 -- 0 19. Madhya Pradesh 899 7 906 20. Maharashtra 2117 277 2394 21. Manipur 3 1 4 22. Meghalaya 8 2 10 23. Mizoram 1 -- 1 24. Nagaland 1 -- 1 25. Delhi 0 -- 0 26. Odisha 200 4 204 27. Puducherry 0 -- 0 28. Punjab 14 2 16 29. Rajasthan 204 8 212 30. Sikkim 2 -- 2 31. Tamil Nadu 118 -- 118 32. Tripura 1 -- 1 33. Uttar Pradesh 117 13 130

34. Uttarakhand 17 8 25 35. West Bengal 30 -- 30 36. Telangana 168 16 184 Total: 5334 411 5745

1.19 On being further asked about the Contingency Measures/Plans put in place by the Government to prepare for any eventuality of Dam break catastrophe in the country, the Department, in its written submission, stated as under:-

“In India, the ownership of Dams vests with the State Governments, Central Public Sector Undertakings (NHPC, BBMB, etc.) and a few Private Entities. The Central Water Commission, in its advisory capacity, always advises these owners to prepare Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Manual for appropriate Dam/Reservoir Operation and Emergency Action Plan (EAP) to meet any emergent situation as a Contingency Plan to prepare for any eventuality of Dam break catastrophe for each of their Dams. In this regard, The Central Water Commission under the World Bank assisted Dam Rehabilitation Improvement Project, among others, has issued following Guidelines:-

(i) Assessing and managing risks associated with dam issued in February 2019.

(ii) Guidelines for Developing Emergency Action Plans for Dams issued in February 2016.

(iii) Guidelines for Preparing Operation and Maintenance Manual for Dams issued in January 2018.

Under DRIP, 132 EAPs have been prepared out of which 47 has been published and 127 draft O&M manuals have been prepared and 9 has been published. Implementing Agency wise details are given below:-

Sl. Implementing Agency Draft EAPs Draft O&M No. EAPs published O&M manuals prepared manuals published prepared 1. Madhya Pradesh WRD 15 0 21 0 2. Orissa WRD 22 1 26 1

3. Tamil Nadu WRD 27 4 26 1 4. TANDEGCO 14 11 4 1 5 Kerala WRD 13 0 12 0 6 Kerala State Electricity Board 24 24 10 1 7 Karnataka WRD 14 6 20 2 8 Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd 2 0 5 0 9 Damodar Valley corporation 1 1 3 3 Total 132 47 127 9

WRD: Water Resources Department

B. Dam Safety Bill

1.20 When asked by the Committee to furnish the broad contour of the Dam Safety Bill, the Department replied as under:-

"The Dam Safety Bill 2018 was introduced in the Parliament in December, 2018. However, with the dissolution of the Lok Sabha, the said Bill lapsed. Subsequently, the Dam Safety Bill, 2019 was introduced in the Parliament and passed by the Lok Sabha on 02.08.2019. The Dam Safety Bill 2019 will provide a framework for assuring the safety of specified Dams, codifying the Dam safety procedures and responsibilities of various institutional arrangements made for the purpose.

The Dam Safety Bill, 2019 addresses various issues concerning Dam safety including inspection of Dams, Emergency Action Plan, comprehensive Dam safety review, Instrumentation and Safety Manuals, etc. It lays onus of Dam safety on the Dam owner and provides for penal provisions for commission and omission of certain acts".

1.21 The Department further informed that the Dam Safety Bill 2019 has been passed by the Lok Sabha on 02.08.2019 and now it is proposed that the Bill will be considered by the Rajya Sabha in the next session of Parliament.

1.22 In response to a query by the Committee as to how the Dam Safety Bill will help in establishing the requisite level of coordination amongst the various States regarding the operation of the Dams especially during monsoon season so that sudden release of water from

Dam does not inundate the adjoining State(s), the Department, in its written submission, stated as under:-

"The Dam Safety Bill, 2019 provides for proper surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of all specified dams in the country to ensure their safe functioning. The Bill provides for constitution of a National Committee on Dam Safety which shall evolve Dam safety policies and recommend necessary regulations as may be required for the purpose. The Bill provides for establishment of National Dam Safety Authority as a regulatory body which shall discharge functions to implement the policy, guidelines and standards for Dam safety in the country. The Bill provides for constitution of State Committee on Dam Safety by the State Governments to ensure proper surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of all specified Dams in that State and ensure their safe functioning. It further provides that every State shall establish a “State Dam Safety Organisation”.

The National Dam Safety Authority shall maintain liaison with the State Dam Safety Organisations and the owners of Dams for standardization of Dam safety related data and practices; provide technical and managerial assistance to the States and State Dam Safety Organisations; maintain a national level data-base of all Dams in the country and the records of major Dam failures; examine the cause of any major Dam failure; publish and update the standard guidelines and check-lists for the routine inspection and detailed investigations of Dams and appurtenances; and look into unresolved points of issue between the State Dam Safety Organisation of two states, or between the State Dam Safety Organisation of a State and the owner of a dam in that State, for proper solution.

The Bill also provides that the National Committee on Dam Safety shall make recommendations on the coordinated reservoir operation and cascading Dams".

III. Namami Gange

1.23 The Union Cabinet approved the Namami Gange Programme on 13th May, 2015 as a comprehensive approach to rejuvenate river Ganga and its tributaries under one umbrella. A total of Rs. 20,000 crore has been allocated for this project to be spent over the next five years (2020). This includes funds allocated for ongoing projects to clean river Ganga and new initiatives. The Namami Gange scheme was launched with the following objectives:-

. To ensure effective abatement of pollution and rejuvenation of the river Ganga by adopting a river basin approach to promote inter-sectoral co-ordination for comprehensive planning and management; and

. To maintain required ecological flows in the river Ganga with the aim of ensuring water quality and environmentally sustainable development.

1.24 When asked by the Committee to furnish an overview of the activities/programmes taken up/being taken up for Ganga rejuvenation since inception of Namami Gange, the Department, in its written submission stated, as follows:-

"A total of 299 projects are under implementation under the flagship programme of Namami Gange which includes projects of Sewerage Infrastructure, Ghats & Crematoria, River Front Development, River Surface Cleaning, Ghat Cleaning, bio-Remediation, etc. The status of projects, as on 31 August, 2019 is as under:-

(Rs. in crore) Sl. Projects Undertaken No. of Sanction No. of No. of No. of AA&ES Total No. Projects Cost Projects Projects Projects issued Expenditure Completed under under Progress Tendering Pollution Abatement 1. Sewage Infrastructure 150 23130.95 43 67 40 0 5093.50

2. Modular STPs Decentralized 1 410.00 0 0 1 0 0.00 Treatment 3. Industrial Pollution Abatement 12 964.59 0 11 1 0 55.79

4. Bioremediation 15 242.92 0 15 0 0 0.00

5. Rural Sanitation 1 1421.26 0 1 0 0 1020.44

Sub-Total 179 26169.72 43 94 42 0 6169.73 River Front Ghats and Crematoria 1. Old Ghats & Crematoria 24 204.39 24 0 0 0 180.16 (Projects under NRCP/NGRBA- in State of West Bengal )

2. Ghats & Crematoria (New 47 822.01 20 24 3 0 482.85 Projects under Namami Gange Programme)

3. River Front Development 1 336.73 0 1 0 0 283.68

4. Ghats Cleaning 3 43.87 0 3 0 0 13.43 5. River Surface Cleaning 1 33.53 0 1 0 0 8.95

Sub-Total 76 1440.53 44 29 3 0 969.07 Institutional Development (Non -Infrastructure) 1. Ganga Knowledge Center 5 145.11 1 3 0 1 23.40 2. Ganga Monitoring Center 1 46.69 0 1 0 0 0.00 3. Project Implementation 10 154.05 4 6 0 0 88.62 Support/ Research & Study Projects 4. Composite Ecological Task 3 197.97 2 1 0 0 42.11 Force 5. District Ganga Committee 1 2.30 0 1 0 0 0.00 Sub Total 20 546.12 7 12 0 1 154.13

Afforestation & Bio-diversity Conservation 1. Afforestation 16 236.56 10 6 0 0 158.49 2. Bio-diversity Conservation 8 150.54 2 6 0 0 30.39

Sub-Total 24 387.1 12 12 0 0 188.88

Grand Total 299 28543.47 106 147 45 1 7481.81

1.25 Further, the Department, in its written submission, apprised the Committee that till 31 May 2019, against the Sewerage Treatment Capacity of 3729.92 MLD, only 575.84 MLD of STP capacity has been created.

1.26 When a query was raised by the Committee regarding the under utilization of funds under 'Namami Gange' Programme, the Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation during the oral evidence held on 23 October 2019 stated:-

"I would agree that the expenditure has been only about Rs. 7,000 crore, so far. If you see, in the initial first two years, we released the funds, but NMCG could not spend the money because a lot of time went basically into planning, like listing all the towns on first main stream of the Ganga and then on the tributaries; the condition, assessment and feasibility study; how much sewage is getting generated; what the present sewage treatment capacity there is; what the gap is; what kind of STPs have been set up and whether they are functioning or not; what the capacity utilisation is etc. Planning about all those things took a lot of time. Basically, after two years, the graph has started rising. In next two

years, we expect that all sewage infrastructure projects, which include some of the projects relating to industrial effluents, will also get completed".

1.27 On being asked about the time period fixed for cleaning of river Ganga, the Department, in its written submission, stated as follows:- "River cleaning and rejuvenation is a continuous process and projects for sewerage infrastructures have been taken up comprehensively and with faster pace and it is expected that these projects could be completed by December, 2022. These projects need to be operated, maintained properly, and monitored closely by the Project Authorities to keep the river clean".

IV. INTERLINKING OF RIVERS

1.28 The Committee desired to know as to whether sufficient funds would be allocated Interlining of Rivers, the Department, in its written submission, stated as follows:-

"This is only a token provision. As and when the Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) projects are taken up for implementation, provision of sufficient funds will be sought in the Budget. Expenditure on survey, investigation and Detailed Project Report (DPR) preparation for various projects is met from grants-in-aid to the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) under River Basin Management Scheme. The budget provision for NWDA in the current year is Rs 83 crore."

1.29 On being further asked about any study undertaken by the Department on Interlinking of Rivers in terms of its feasibility, cost and benefit analysis, the Department stated as under:-

"Under Himalayan component Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) of fourteen links, Feasibility Report (FR) (Indian portion) of two links and draft FR of seven links have been completed. Under Peninsular Component PFR of 16 Links, FR of 14 links and Detailed Project Report (DPR)s of 6 links have been completed. The DPR/FR include establishment of project feasibility, cost and benefit analysis".

1.30 When asked by the Committee about the projects/works envisaged by the Ministry with regard to the interlinking rivers and their implementation, the Department, in its written submission, stated:- "No ILR project has been reached at the execution stage. However, DOWR,RD&GR is making utmost efforts for consensus building amongst the party States for implementation of Ken-Betwa, Damanganga-Pinjal, Par-Tapi-Narmada, and Godavari-Cauvery links. DPRs of these links have already been prepared".

1.31 In response to a query by the Committee about the major problems/hindrances/bottlenecks in the implementation of interlinking of rivers and measures being taken by the Government to overcome them, the Department, in its written reply, submitted as under:-

"The apprehensions/major problems/bottlenecks/hindrances in implementation of ILR include achieving consensus among the States concerned for water sharing and disturbing the existing allocation as per awards, requirement of power to lift waters as proposed in link proposals, etc. Implementation of Inter-linking of Rivers (ILR) projects also involves obtaining statutory clearances like forest and wild life by the Ministry of Environment & Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), etc. Other issues related to implementation of ILR projects are land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation of displaced population.

Inter Linking of rivers programme has been taken up on high priority. The Government is pursuing the ILR program in a consultative manner. A “Special Committee on Interlinking of Rivers” has been constituted in September, 2014 under the Chairmanship of Hon'ble Minister of WR, RD & GR (now Ministry of Jal Shakti) for the implementation of ILR programme. Views and observations on the ILR programme received from various State Governments, experts and other stakeholders are discussed in the meetings of the Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers. Sixteen meetings of the Special Committee for ILR have been held, so far. Further, a Task Force for Interlinking of Rivers has been constituted by MoWR, RD & GR in April, 2015. Ten meetings of the Task Force for ILR have been held so far. Vigorous efforts have been made for generating consensus amongst the concerned States."

V. Ground Water Management

A. Ground Water Management and Regulation Scheme (GWM&R)

1.32 Ground Water Management and Regulation (GWM&R) Scheme, a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation is under implementation since 12th plan (2012-17). The scheme is being continued during 2017-2020 with an outlay of Rs. 992 crore and has the following components:-

(i) National Aquifer Mapping & Management Programme. (ii) Ground Water Monitoring, Resource Assessment, Regulation, Information Dissemination, etc. (iii) Strengthening of infrastructure for technological upgradation (Machinery & Equipment).

1.33 When asked about the reasons for decline in the budgetary allocation (BE) for fiscal year 2019-20 vis-a-vis 2018-19 under this Scheme, the Department, in its written reply, submitted as follows:-

"During 2018-19, the targets envisaged for data generation was more than that of 2019-20, hence, higher allocations were sought under the Ground Water Management and Regulation Scheme in 2018-19 compared to 2019-20".

B. National Aquifer Mapping & Management Programme ( NAQUIM)

1.34 The Aquifer Mapping is aimed to delineate aquifer disposition and their characterization for preparation of aquifer/area specific ground water management plans, with community participation. To develop sustainable management plan for ground water resource considering the demand and supply side interventions, CGWB has taken up Aquifer Mapping and Management programme during Twelfth Plan.

1.35 The Department further apprised the Committee about the National Aquifer Mapping Program (NAQUIM) through its written submission which is as follows:-

"National Aquifer Mapping Program (NAQUIM) is the major component of Ground Water Management and Regulation Scheme. NAQUIM programme has the following objectives:-

a) Delineation of aquifers in terms of their horizontal and vertical extent.

b) Characterization of aquifers in terms of their hydro-geological properties, resource availability and quality.

c) Preparation of aquifer maps.

d) Identification and quantification of issues.

e) Developing management strategies to ensure sustainability of ground water resources.

C. Aquifer Mapping

1.36 The Committee observe that earlier the aim of the then Ministry was aquifer mapping of 23 lakh sq. km. by 2020. However, it was revised to 12.9 lakh sq. km. to be completed by 2020. Now it has been further reduced to 10.3 lakh km2 to be completed by the year 2020 . Out of which only 5.2 lakh km2 has been covered (upto August 2019) against the target of 6.6 lakh km2.

1.37 On being asked about the reasons which have compelled the Department to frequently revise and reduce the targets, the Department in its written submission stated as under:-

"The total area identified for Aquifer Mapping in entire country is 24.8 lakh Km2. Upto March 2020 an area of 12.9 lakh Km2 has been envisaged to be covered as per EFC 2017-20. The remaining 11.9 lakh Km2 area would be covered during subsequent years.

Aquifer mapping and preparation of aquifer management plan of the entire country is one of the most ambitious targets of Government of India for preparing sustainable management techniques for the utilization by the States/UTs. Depending upon the urgency of the requirement, manpower position in CGWB etc. the targets are revised by the CGWB

in consultation with the Ministry. Further, to expedite the preparation of aquifer management plan, recently M/S WAPCOS Ltd has been hired by CGWB".

D. Water User Efficiency

1.38 In response to a query about the low water user efficiency in the country and measures taken by the Government to improve it, the Department, in its written submission, stated as follows:- "It is true that water use efficiency in irrigated agriculture is relatively low in India resulting in high use of water for crop production when compared to many other countries. The important reasons for this include cultivation of crops without regard to the agro-climatic conditions and availability of water in the area. The prevailing cropping pattern is also influenced by other factors such as procurement policy of the Government, market accessibility, etc. The availability of free or highly subsidized power, existing agronomic practices and customary use of flood irrigation, etc., also encourage excessive use of water in the agriculture sector.

Various measures have been initiated by the Government to improve water use efficiency in agriculture sector in the Country. PMKSY-Per Drop More Crop mainly focuses on water use efficiency at farm level through precision/micro irrigation and better on-farm water management practices to optimize the use of available water resources. Initiatives aimed at reducing water demand for agriculture have been launched by some State Governments. These include ban on early sowing of paddy by Haryana and Punjab; Jal Hi Jeevan Hai Scheme by Haryana which incentivises growing of low water intensive crops; mandatory use of drip irrigation for sugarcane cultivation by Maharashtra Government, etc.

In addition to the above, mass awareness and public outreach programmes are being regularly organised by various organisations under the Department of Water Resources, RD&GR. Rewarding best practices for water conservation and enhancing water use efficiency through institution of ‘National Water Awards’ is another step taken by the Department in this direction. The Department also proposes to set up ‘National Bureau of Water Use Efficiency (NBWUE)’ for improving water use efficiency across various sectors, namely, irrigation, drinking water supply, power generation, industry, etc."

1.39 On being asked by the Committee about the setting up of any Panel for undertaking a study on the efficacy, merits, viability or sustainability of traditional water recharge/harvesting techniques in India, the Department, in its written reply, submitted as follows:-

"A multi-disciplinary expert committee for identifying successfully implemented innovative water recharge/conservation techniques/technologies was constituted by the then Ministry of Water Resources, RD&GR vide order conveyed through Letter No.T-40017/2/2017-GW dated 18.10.2017. Shri Sushil Gupta, former Chairman Central Ground Water Board was the Convener of the six member committee.

The Committee submitted its report in January, 2018. Important conclusions and recommendations of the committee, inter-alia, include:-

 Several innovative and cost effective technologies have been practiced in various projects which need to be replicated.

 India also has a rich tradition of water conservation and recharge of ground water at the farm and field level across various states which needs to be replicated.

 It is also concluded that one of the most important reasons for the success of the projects has been the involvement of community including its capacity building.

 Another important factor is selecting the appropriate intervention suitable for the area based on its hydrogeology, rainfall, agro-climatic conditions as well as prioritizing the area to be taken up first based on the scarcity of availability of water.

 Such projects as described in the report can be replicated in almost all the areas of the country based on the local hydro-geological conditions and related factors with the involvement and capacity building of the community."

VI. NATIONAL PROJECTS

1.40 The Union Cabinet in its meeting held on 7th February, 2008 gave its consent to the proposal of the then Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation for implementation of National Projects with Central Assistance of 90% of the cost of the project. So far, 16 projects have been selected in the Scheme of National Projects.

1.41 On being asked as to how many Projects out of 16 National Projects have been completed and how many are still under execution, the Department, in its written submission, stated as under:-

"Out of these 16 National Projects, five projects namely Polavaram Irrigation Project (Andhra Pradesh), Saryu Nahar Pariyojana (Uttar Pradesh), Gosikhurd Irrigation Project (Maharashtra), Teesta Barrage Project (West Bengal) & Shahpurkandi Dam Project (Punjab) have been taken up for execution. These projects are at various stages of construction.

The completion Schedule of Polavaram project is June, 2021 (revised as December 2021), Gosikhurd National Project is March,2023, Saryu Nahar Pariyojana is March,2021 and Shahpurkandi Dam project is June, 2022.

Funding proposal for rest of 11 Projects would be taken up once Project Authorities obtain all the requisite clearances including statutory clearances."

1.42 When asked about the progress of implementation of National projects (both physical and financial) vis-a-vis the year-wise targets fixed during the last three years along with the details of the ongoing National Projects, the Department, in its written submission, stated as follows:- Financial Progress (Rs. in crore) Project Latest Estimated Expenditure Expenditure Expenditure Expenditure Cumulative Cost upto during during during Expenditure (AIBP Component) 31.03.16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 as on 3/19 Gosikhurd 12770.09 5022.08 570.29 697.43 864.96 7154.76 Saryu Nahar 5803.61 1965.1 201.26 571.23 962 3699.59 Polavaram 50987.96+ 7443.29 1700.09 3829.03 3024.62 15997.03 Shahpur Kandi 564.632++ - - - 4.31 4.31 + Price Level 2017-18 , ++ approved on 06.12.2018

Physical progress (Potential in Th.Ha ) Project Ultimate Irrigation Potential Potential Potential Potential Cumulative Potential Created Created Created Created potential upto during during during creation as 31.03.2016 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 on 3/19 Gosikhurd 250.8 39.48 10.35 15 14.55 79.38 Saryu Nahar 1312 630.6 17.4 0 356 1004 Polavaram 291 * * * * * Shahpur Kandi 37.173 - - - - - * The potential of 121 th. ha. has been created through Tadipudi and Pushkara LIS in command. Potential through flow irrigation would be created on completion of dam and connectivity to Left Bank Canal (LBC) and Right Bank Canal (RBC).

Details of ongoing National Projects (Rs. in crore) Sl. Name of the Project / State Estimated Cost Revised Cost/Price Level (PL) No At the time of inclusion in National Project/ Price Level (PL)

1 Polavaram Irrigation Project 10151.04 55,548.87 (Andhra Pradesh) (PL 2005-06) (PL 2017-18) 2 Gosikhurd Irrigation Project 7777.85 Cr 18494.57 (Maharashtra) (PL 2007-08) (PL 2012-13 of WRD & 2013-14 (NP Component: Rs. 4315.96) of PWD) (NP Component: Rs.12770.09) 3 Saryu Nahar Pariyojana 7270.32 9802.67 Project (PL 2008) (PL 2016) (Uttar Pradesh) (NP Component: Rs. 3011.54) (NP Component: Rs. 5803.61) 4 Shahpur Kandi Dam Project 1324.18 2715.70 (Punjab) ( PL 6/2000) (PL Feb, 2018) ( included in total revised cost of Rs. 5065.48 of Ravi Project-Unit-I) PL: Price List; PWD: Public Works Department; WRD: Water Resources Department; NP: National Project

PART II

OBSERVATIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS

Allocation of funds for 2019-20

2.1 The Committee observe that for the fiscal year 2019-20, the total budgetary allocation for the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation is Rs. 8245.25 crore, out of which, Rs. 7853.78 crore has been allocated under the 'Revenue Section' and Rs. 391.47 crore under the 'Capital Section'. The total budgetary provision of the Department for the fiscal year 2019-20 is Rs. 8245.25 crore which is around Rs. 614.75 crore lower than that of the previous fiscal year which has been attributed to reduction in allocations under the National Ganga Plan (NGP) and the availability of unspent balances with the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) due to slow off-take by the States. The Committee also note that there is an additional provision of Extra Budgetary Resources (EBR) of Rs. 8217.79 crore as borrowing from the National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD) which is almost equal to the budgetary provision of the Department. Though, EBR of Rs. 4882 crore has been approved by the Ministry of Finance, till 31.10.2019, no amount has been raised by the Department. The Committee regret to note that accretion of borrowings from NABARD will increase the committed liability of the Government in the form of payment of interest along with principal amount and, therefore, would adversely impact the Schemes/Programmes of the Government in the long run. The Committee, therefore, strongly recommend that dependence on EBR for meeting the requirement of additional funds for various Schemes/Programmes in the field of water resources, especially, the National Mission for Clean Ganga be avoided. The inclusive conservation, management and development of water resources which includes conjunctive use of surface and ground water, rejuvenation of river Ganga, flood management including drainage, flood- proofing, water logging, sea erosion, dam safety, etc., would only be possible when adequate funds are provided to the Department without incurring huge liability of repayment of loans and/or interest. (Recommendation Sl. No. 1)

Under-utilization of Budgetary Allocations

2.2 The Committee find that the Department has not been able to utilize the budgetary provisions allocated to them, year after year. During the fiscal year 2016-17, Rs. 4714.13 crore out of Rs. 6201.21 crore (BE), i.e., 76% was actually spent. Similarly, during the fiscal year 2017-18, Rs. 6887.00 crore (BE) was allocated, out of which the Department could utilize only Rs. 5313.48 crore, i.e., 77%. During the year, 2018-19, Rs. 7422.08, crore out of Rs. 8860.00 crore (BE) i.e., 84% was utilized by the Department. Thus, the incessant under utilization of budgetary allocations has been a recurring issue with the Department. On the other hand, the Committee find that the borrowings from NABARD has increased substantially.

2.3 The Committee observe that the Department has spelled out various reasons for under utilization of funds under the various Schemes/Programmes which inter alia include the following:-

I. Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Programme (DRIP)

(i) Non-award of tenders of Hydro-mechanical of Panchet due to poor response of bidders.

(ii) Delayed start of project by the Civil Contractor.

(iii) Non-finalization of material for grouting works at Konar Dams, and other contractual issues.

II. River Basin Management (RBM)

(i) Difficulties in collection and transportation of boulders to work sites due to ban on blasting boulder quarries.

(ii) Disturbances/resistance by the local organizations/residents.

(iii) Unseasonal rainfall and high flood level of river.

(iv) Unavailability of forest clearances.

(v) Lack of consensus among various States on inter-linking of Rivers Programme. 24

III. Development of Water Resources Information System (DWRIS)

(i) Non-finalisation of tenders for outsourcing of manpower services for HO sites.

(ii) Under-utilization of funds in the National Water Mission Scheme, primarily, due to absence of full time Mission Director.

(iii) Shortage of manpower to carry out the activities contemplated under National Water Mission Scheme.

2.4 While taking note of the various problems as furnished by the Department which are responsible for under utilizations of funds under various Schemes/Programmes, the Committee are of the view that lack of optimum utilization of resources has been a continual issue with the Department. The Committee, therefore, recommend that the Department should take all necessary steps to overcome the aforementioned hindrances which have hampered faster implementation and consequent under utilization of available resources. (Recommendation Sl. No. 2)

Special Package to other chronically Drought Prone Areas of the Country

2.5 The Committee note that in July 2018, the Government of India approved a Special Package to provide Central Assistance of Rs.3831.41 crore to complete 83 Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) projects and 8 Major/ Medium Irrigation Projects in suicide prone Districts in Vidarbha and Marathwada regions of the State of Maharashtra requiring overall balance cost of Rs.13651.61 crore as on 1.4.2018.

2.6 While, the Committee appreciate the efforts of the Government to provide the much needed relief to address the agrarian distress in Vidarbha and Marathwada and other chronically drought prone areas of rest of Maharashtra, the Committee also desire that the Department should consider expanding the scope of this Package to other regions of the country facing similar challenges.

(Recommendation Sl. No. 3)

Distribution of Legislative Power between the Union and the States

2.7 The Committee note that in accordance with the constitutional Division of Jurisdictions, the subject 'Water' comes under the State List. However, in order to ensure a National Perspective on Water Management and to avoid inter-State disputes, urgent need was felt to bring 'Water' under the Concurrent List of the Constitution of India. As a sequel to this, the Standing Committee on Water Resources, in its various earlier Reports, had reiterated the relevant recommendation.

2.8 Notwithstanding this, the Committee find from the reply of the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation that the Ministry of Law and Justice had been consulted by the Department in this regard. The Legislative Department, Government of India was of the view that there exists a carefully crafted and delicate balance between the two Entries (Entry 56 of List I and entry 17 of List II), it would be wise not to remove/transfer entry 17 from the State List which includes ‘Water’ to the Concurrent List. However, it would be pragmatic to have a separate entry under the Concurrent List to deal with matters relating to water conservation, water preservation, water management, etc. Since this important aspect has not been resolved, till date, the Committee, once again, recommend that concrete and time-bound measures be initiated by the Government to bring a separate Entry under the Concurrent List, as opined by the Ministry of Law and Justice, for dealing with water conservation, water preservation, water management, etc. in order to achieve the objective of better conservation, development and management of water resources. (Recommendation Sl. No. 4)

River Basin Management

2.9 The Committee note that the National Water Policy - 2012 emphasizes the need for comprehensive legislation for optimum development of inter-State rivers and river valleys to facilitate inter-State coordination for ensuring scientific planning of land and water resources by reckoning basin/sub-basin as a Unit with unified perspectives of water in all its forms (including precipitation, soil moisture, ground and surface water) and ensuring a holistic and balanced development of both the catchment and the command areas.

2.10 In pursuance thereof, Justice Dobia Committee had submitted its Report which included a draft Bill, namely, the River Basin Management Bill, for amending the existing River Boards Act, 1956. It was further examined by a three-member Group. The Group finalized the Draft of River Basin Management Bill, 2017 and submitted to the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Thereafter, the draft has been finalized by the Ministry. The draft Bill is now under consideration of the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

2.11 Considering all the aforesaid chronology of events, the Committee are of the view that enactment of the proposed legislation would result in optimum integrated development and management of inter-State River waters with basin approach and will result in change of environment from the one of 'conflicts' to that of 'cooperation'. The Committee, therefore, recommend the Ministry to take expeditious measures for the enactment of the proposed River Basin Act, to enable the establishment of the River Basin Authority and management of water resources of each river basin in a holistic manner. The Committee desire to be apprised of the specific timelines fixed for the purpose. (Recommendation Sl. No. 5)

Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Programme (DRIP)

2.12 The Committee note that the DRIP is a World Bank funded Scheme which aims at rehabilitation and improvement of about 223 large Dams in seven States (Kerala - 53, Madhya Pradesh - 25, Odisha - 26, Tamil Nadu - 89, Karnataka - 22, Jharkhand - 3 and Uttarakhand - 5). Earlier, the total project cost was around Rs. 2100 crore and it was scheduled to be completed within six years from its launching, i.e., 18th April, 2012. However, the Government of India had approved the revised cost of DRIP amounting to Rs. 3446 crore and the revised year of completion is now June, 2020.

2.13 The Committee also observe from the reply of the Department that the allocation in 2018-19 (BE) was Rs 124 crore which was subsequently reduced to Rs 75 crore at (RE) due to slow progress of activities of CWC including Comprehensive Risk Assessment of 4 Dams, Capacity building of IIT Kanpur and CWRDM Kozhikode and contractual issues with the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC). The Committee are astonished to find that the Department has not been able to utilise even that amount of Rs. 75 crore allocated in 2018-19 at RE stage and only Rs. 49.45 crore had been utilized by the Department during

27 the fiscal year 2018-19. The Committee further note that the important bottlenecks being witnessed by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation include the frequent transfer of officials of State Project Management Units by the State Implementing Agencies, limited operational capacity of a few of the partner agencies regarding issues related to preparation of bid documents, evaluation as well as contract management, etc. The Committee also find that out of 198 Dam projects, the rehabilitation work in respect of 147 Dams have been completed. However, no tangible progress in respect of rehabilitation work has been made by the Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd (UJVNL) and the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC).

2.14 The Committee, therefore, recommend the Department to make all concerted efforts to overcome all the obstacles as narrated above so that the entire Programme could be completed within a given time frame. The Committee further urge the Department to actively persuade the Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd (UJVNL) and the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) so that the rehabilitation work under their jurisdiction could be completed in the right earnest. (Recommendation Sl. No. 6)

Dam Safety

2.15 The Committee observe that the Dam Safety Bill 2018 was introduced in the Parliament in December, 2018. However, with the dissolution of the Lok Sabha, the Bill was lapsed. Subsequently, the Dam Safety Bill, 2019 was again introduced in the Parliament and passed by the Lok Sabha on 2.08.2019. In this context, the Department has apprised the Committee that it will be considered by the Rajya Sabha in the next session of Parliament.

2.16 The Committee find it laudable that the Dam Safety Bill, 2019 provides for proper surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of all specified Dams in the country to ensure their safe functioning. The Bill also provides for constitution of a National Committee on Dam Safety which shall evolve Dam safety policies and recommend necessary regulations as may be required for the purpose. It also provides for establishment of National Dam Safety Authority as a regulatory body which shall discharge functions to implement the Policy, Guidelines and Standards for Dam safety in the country. It further addresses various issues concerning Dam safety including

28 inspection of Dams, Emergency Action Plan, comprehensive Dam safety review, Instrumentation and Safety Manuals, etc. It unequivocally lays the onus of Dam safety on the Dam owner and provides for penal provisions for commission and omission of certain specified acts.

2.17 Taking note of the fact that there are around 5745 Dams in the country (5334 functional and 411 under construction) and many of these Dams necessitate immediate measures to reinforce their safety, the Committee hope that the Department would be able to enact this Act at the earliest. (Recommendation Sl. No. 7)

Namami Gange Programme

2.18 The Committee observe that under the Namami Gange Programme, till 31 August 2019, a total of 299 projects have been sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs. 28543.47 crore, out of which, 106 projects have been completed. Out of these 299 Projects, 150 belong to Sewerage Infrastructure. However, only 43 of these Projects have been completed. The Committee further note that against the sewerage treatment capacity of 3729.92 Million Litres Per Day (MLD), only 575.84 MLD of STP capacity has been created till 31 May 2019. The Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation during the oral evidence held on 23 October 2019 accepted under utilization of funds under this Programme with a caveat that in next two years, all the sewage infrastructure projects including those projects relating to industrial effluents, would be completed.

2.19 Keeping in view of the fact that 'Namami Gange' Project was approved by the Cabinet in 2015 with allocation of Rs. 20,000 crore to be spent till the year 2020, the Committee are disappointed with the slow pace of the implementation of the Projects resulting in incurring of lower expenditure. The Committee are of the view that the projects need to be executed in a time bound manner as otherwise it would result in cost and time overrun. The Committee hope that the Department will now tighten their belt and leave no stone unturned to complete all the sanctioned projects under this Programme within the given time frame. (Recommendation Sl. No. 8)

Inter-linking of Rivers

2.20 The Committee observe that no inter-linking of Rivers (ILR) Project has reached the execution stage. However, under the Himalayan component, Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) of fourteen links, Feasibility Report (FR) (Indian portion) of two links and draft FR of seven links have been completed. Under Peninsular Component, PFR of 16 Links, FR of 14 links and Detailed Project Report (DPR)s of 6 links have also been completed.

2.21 The Committee also note that major hindrances in the implementation of ILR Projects include the need for arriving at a consensus amongst the States concerned for water sharing and disturbing the existing allocation as per Awards, requirement of power to lift waters as proposed in link proposals, etc. Implementation of the ILR Projects also involves obtaining various Statutory Clearances which include Forest and Wild life clearance by the Ministry of Environment & Forests and Climate Change, etc. Other issues related to implementation of ILR Projects are land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation of the displaced population. The Committee further take note of the fact that a 'Special Committee on Inter-linking of Rivers' was constituted in September, 2014 under the Chairmanship of Hon'ble Minister of WR, RD & GR (now Ministry of Jal Shakti). Besides, a Task Force for Inter-linking of Rivers was set up by the then MoWR, RD & GR in April, 2015.

2.22 The Committee note that lack of consensus amongst various States is a major hurdle in the ambitious Project of Interlinking of Rivers. In order to speed up the implementation of Inter-linking of Rivers (ILR) Programme and to arrive at a consensus on the link proposals between the States, the Committee, recommend the Department to make concerted and time-bound efforts to bring all the concerned States on board to evolve the consensus so that this Project could be implemented without any further delay. (Recommendation Sl. No. 9)

Ground Water Management and Regulation

2.23 The Committee observe that Ground Water Management and Regulation (GWM&R) Scheme, a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation is under implementation since 12th plan (2012-17). The Scheme has been operational during the fiscal year 2017-2020 with an outlay of Rs. 992 crore. The

Committee also note that the budgetary allocation for this Scheme for the fiscal year 2019-20 vis-a-vis 2018-19 has been considerably reduced. As per the Department's submission, it is because of the fact that the targets envisaged for data generation was more for the year 2018-19 vis-a-vis 2019-20.

2.24 Taking note of the fact that at the time when the country has been facing a crisis in terms of fast depleting groundwater level, the Committee are of the view that instead of seeking reduced allocation for such an important Scheme, the Department should seek to augment the budgetary support for this and formulate the pragmatic short term and long policies/programmes in consultation with the respective State Governments so that the country, as a whole could come out from this quagmire. The Committee also urge the Ministry to constitute an Expert Committee for the purpose of identifying the specific locations/regions where the problem of depleting the groundwater level at rapid pace not only persists but also increasing by leaps and bounds. The Expert Committee should use the available technology, including the satellite feeds, to collate the data on real time basis which could also be made available in the public domain. (Recommendation Sl. No. 10)

Aquifer Mapping

2.25 The Committee observe that earlier, the objective of the then Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (now rechristened as the Ministry of Jal Shakti) was to undertake the 'Aquifer Mapping' of 23 lakh square kilometers by 2020, which was subsequently revised to 12.9 lakh square kilometers to be completed by 2020, i.e., a decrease of 44%. Now, it has been further reduced to 10.3 lakh square kilometers to be completed by the year 2020, i.e., a further decrease of 20%. As far as physical achievement is concerned, the Committee further note that as on August 2019, only 5.2 lakh square kilometers of 'Aquifer Mapping' has been undertaken against the target of 6.6 lakh square kilometers. The Committee also note from the reply of the Department that the targets are revised by the CGWB in consultation with the Ministry in view of the urgency of the requirement and manpower position in CGWB, etc. Further, to expedite the preparation of Aquifer Management Plan, recently M/s. WAPCOS Ltd., has been hired by the CGWB.

2.26 Keeping in view the importance of 'Aquifer Mapping' which is a multidisciplinary scientific process, wherein, a combination of geological, hydro-geological, geo-physical, hydrological, and quality data are integrated to characterize the quantity, quality and movement of ground water in aquifers, primarily undertaken by State Ground Water Department(s)/Central Ground Water Board, the Committee urge the Department to make concerted efforts so that this Programme does not suffer due to lack of manpower in the CGWB and further liaise with the State Governments to complete the Project within the given time frame so as to obviate further revision/reduction of targets. (Recommendation Sl. No. 11)

Need to improve Water Use Efficiency

2.27 The Committee note that the DoWR, RD & GR have concurred that 'Water Use Efficiency' in the irrigated agriculture is relatively low in the country resulting in high use of water for crop production when compared to many other countries. According to the Department, the main reason for this includes cultivation of crops without taking into consideration the agro-climatic conditions and the availability of water in the area. Further, various other factors such as procurement policy of the Government, market accessibility, etc., also play an important role in determining the prevailing cropping pattern. The availability of free or highly subsidized power, existing agronomic practices and customary use of flood irrigation, etc., also encourage excessive use of water in the agriculture sector.

2.28 The Committee also note from the submissions made by the Department that various measures have been initiated by the Government to improve the 'Water Use Efficiency' in agriculture sector in the country which includes PMKSY- Per Drop More Crop, aiming at water use efficiency through micro irrigation, institution of ‘National Water Awards’ for rewarding best practices for water conservation and enhancing water use efficiency. States like Punjab, Haryana and Maharashtra have also taken initiatives for reducing the water demand in the agriculture sector. The Department also proposes to set up ‘National Bureau of Water Use Efficiency' (NBWUE) for improving the 'Water Use Efficiency' across various sectors, namely, irrigation, drinking water supply, power generation, industry, etc.

2.29 While applauding the various initiatives taken by the Government to improve the 'Water Use Efficiency', the Committee also note that setting up of proposed National Bureau of Water Use Efficiency has been on the Department’s agenda for a long time. However, the Committee are worried to find that this is still waiting to become a reality despite Committee's earlier recommendations to expedite the same. The Committee, therefore, again recommend for setting up of the 'National Bureau of Water Use Efficiency' with statutory powers at the earliest which could, undoubtedly, play an important role in improving the 'Water Use Efficiency' by making the users accountable for the rampant wastage of water.

(Recommendation Sl. No. 12)

Implementation of the Recommendations of the Expert Group

2.30 The Committee have been apprised by the Department that a Multi-Disciplinary Expert Committee was set up for identifying the successfully implemented 'Innovative Water Recharge/Conservation Techniques/Technologies' which submitted its Report in January 2018. The important recommendations of the Committee, inter-alia, include the need to replicate several innovative and cost effective technologies practiced in various projects, adoption of good traditional practices of water conservation and recharge of ground water at the farm and field level, identifying the appropriate intervention which are considered suitable for the area based on its hydrogeology, rainfall, agro-climatic conditions as well as prioritizing the area to be taken up first based on the scarcity of availability of water, enhancing the community participation and its capacity building.

2.31 Keeping in view of the preservation and careful management of water as a sustainable resources to protect the water environment and to meet the current and future human demand, the Committee desire that the Ministry should take all possible measures to implement the recommendations of this Multi-Disciplinary Expert Committee. The Committee would like to be apprised of the exact contours of the Action Plan in this regard. (Recommendation Sl. No. 13) National Projects

2.32 The Committee wish to recall that in the year 2008, the Union Cabinet gave its consent to the proposal of the then Ministry of Water Resources, River Development &

Ganga Rejuvenation for implementation of National Projects with Central Assistance of 90% of the cost of the project. So far, 16 projects have been selected under the Scheme of National Projects. Out of these 16 National Projects, five projects, namely, Polavaram Irrigation Project (Andhra Pradesh), Saryu Nahar Pariyojana (Uttar Pradesh), Gosikhurd Irrigation Project (Maharashtra), Teesta Barrage Project (West Bengal) & Shahpurkandi Dam Project (Punjab) have been taken up for execution which are at various stages of construction. Funding proposal for rest of 11 Projects would be taken up once the Project Authorities obtain all the requisite clearances including the 'Statutory Clearances'.

2.33 The Committee note from the reply of the Department that the construction of National Project is in domain of State Governments. These National Projects like any other irrigation project face the problems of Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) issues, inadequate funds, contractual issue, delay in Railway/ Highway crossings, geological locations, etc., which unnecessarily delay the completion of projects, thereby, resulting in enormous cost escalation.

2.34 The Committee have observed that there is a considerable increase in the cost of these projects like for Polavaram Irrigation Project, where, the Estimated Cost at the time of inclusion it in the category of National Project was Rs. 10151.04 crore at the price level of 2005-06. However, the revised cost of this Project has pegged to Rs. 55,548.87 crore at the price level of 2017-18. Similarly, other Projects have also witnessed substantial hike in their costs. The Committee are concerned about this exorbitant increase in cost of these Projects and would like to know as to what proportion of the increase in the estimated cost is due to their overrun of these Projects. The Committee, also, recommend the Department to take urgent steps to resolutely overcome all the problems encompassed in these Projects so that these Projects could be completed within their given time frame and without having any further cost escalation.

(Recommendation Sl. No. 14)

NEW DELHI Dr. SANJAY JAISWAL, 20 November, 2019 Chairperson, 29 Kartika, 1941 (Saka) Standing Committee on Water Resources

MINUTES OF THE SECOND SITTING OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON WATER RESOURCES HELD ON WEDNESDAY, 23 OCTOBER, 2019 IN CONNECTION WITH THE EXAMINATION OF DEMANDS FOR GRANTS (2019-20) OF THE MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

The Committee sat from 1430 hours to 1645 hours in Committee Room 'C', Ground Floor, Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi.

PRESENT

Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal – Chairperson

MEMBERS LOK SABHA

2. Shri Vijay Baghel 3. Shri Nandkumar Singh Chauhan 4. Shri Chandra Prakash Choudhary 5. Shri Guman Singh Damor 6. Dr. Heena Vijaykumar Gavit 7. Dr. K. Jayakumar 8. Shri Kaushal Kishore 9. Shri P. Raveendranath Kumar 10. Shri Hasmukhbhai Somabhai Patel 11. Shri S. Ramalingam 12. Shri Dipsinh Shankarsinh Rathod 13. Shri Prajwal Revanna 14. Ms. Nusrat Jahan Ruhi

RAJYA SABHA

15. Sardar Balwinder Singh Bhunder 16. Mir Mohammad Fayaz 17. Dr. Kirodi Lal Meena 18. Shri Madhusudan Mistry 19. A. Mohammedjan 20. Shri K. Bhabananda Singh 21. Shri Rewati Raman Singh 22. Shri Pradeep Tamta

SECRETARIAT

1. Dr. Preeti Srivastava - Joint Secretary 2. Shri Raju Srivastava - Director 3. Shri R.C. Sharma - Additional Director

WITNESSES

I. Ministry of Jal Shakti - Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation

1. Shri U.P Singh, Secretary (WR, RD & GR) 2. Smt T. Rajeshwari, AS (WR, RD &GR) 3. Shri Jagmohan Gupta, JS&FA 4. Shri Nitishwar Kumar, JS (Admn) 5. Shri Akhil Kumar, JS (IC & GW) 6. Smt Gopa Chattopadhyay, ADG (STAT) 7. Shri Giriraj Goyal, Director (lECle.govlCoord/ID) 8. Shri Ashish Kumar, Director (GW) 9. Shri Surender Kumar Garg, Director (Vig/PSU/Parl)

National Mission for Clean Ganga

1. Shri Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Director General (NMCG) 2. Shri Rozy Agarwal, ED (Finance), NMCG 3. Shri D.P Mathuria, ED (Technical), NMCG

Central Water Commission

1. Shri Arun Kumar Sinha, Chairman (CWC) 2. Shri Shyam Lal Meena, Director (Finance), CWC & FAO, CGWB 3. Shri P.N Singh, Director (DRIP)

Other Organisations

1. Shri M.K. Srinivas, Director General (NWDA) 2. Shri K.C. Naik, Chairman (CGWB)

3. Shri R.K. Gupta, CMD (WAPCOS)

II. Ministry of Jal Shakti - Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation

1. Shri Parmeswaran Iyer, Secretary (DW&S) 2. Shri Arun Baroka, Additional Secretary (SBM) 3. Shri Bharat Lal, Additional Secretary (JJM) 4. Shri Sanjeev Kumar, AS&FA 5. Shri Ajay Shankar Singh, CCA 6. Shri Samir Kumar, Joint Secretary (Estt.) 7. Shri Hiranya Borah, DDG (Parliament) 8. Shri Dhiraj Singh, Director (SBM) 9. Shri Yugal Kishor Joshi, Director (IEC)

2. At the outset, the Hon’ble Chairperson welcomed the Members to the sitting of the Committee convened to have oral evidence of the Ministry of Jal Shakti – (i) Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation; and (ii) Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation in connection with the examination of the Demands for Grants (2019-20).

[The representatives of the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation were, then, ushered in]

3. After welcoming the representatives of the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, the Chairperson drew their attention to Direction 55(1) of the Directions by the Speaker regarding the confidentiality of the proceedings of the Committee and invited them to express their views on various Schemes, Programmes and allocation of funds for the fiscal year 2019-20. Thereafter, the representative of the Department highlighted the salient features of various Schemes, Programmes being undertaken by them with reference to the Demands for Grants (2019-20) through a power point presentation.

4. After hearing the views of the representatives of Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, the Members sought clarifications on following aspects:-

(i) Difference between Scheme and Non-Scheme Budget estimation.

(ii) Under utilization of funds under 'Namami Gange Programme'.

(iii) Obstructing the flow of river Ganga due to construction of Dams.

(iv) Depletion and Contamination of Groundwater. (v) Parameters for selection of Irrigation Projects under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP).

(vi) Illegal sand mining on the river banks.

(vii) High proportion of debt servicing of NABARD loans under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).

(viii) Implementation of the National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM).

(ix) Reduction in the allocation of funds under the Groundwater Management and Regulation Scheme.

(x) Fund allocation for creation of a Central database for risk prone large Dams.

5. The Chairperson, thereafter, thanked the representatives of the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation for comprehensive presentation by them on various aspects raised by the Members. The Chairperson further urged the Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation to furnish written replies to those queries raised by the Members which could not be replied by them within one week.

[The witnesses, then, withdrew and thereafter, the representatives of the Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation were ushered in]

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9. A copy of the verbatim record of the proceedings of the sitting of the Committee has been kept.

The Committee, then, adjourned.

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MINUTES OF THE FOURTH SITTING OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON WATER RESOURCES (2019-20) HELD ON FRIDAY, 29 NOVEMBER 2019

The Committee sat from 1500 hours to 1535 hours in Committee Room 'B', Ground Floor, Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi.

PRESENT

Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal – Chairperson

MEMBERS

LOK SABHA

2. Shri Vijay Baghel 18. 3. Shri Bhagirath Chaudhary 4. Shri Nihal Chand Chauhan 5. Shri Guman Singh Damor 6. Dr. Heena Vijaykumar Gavit 7. Dr. K. Jayakumar 8. Shri Kaushal Kishore 9. Shri Kuruva Gorantla Madhav 10. Shri Hasmukhbhai Somabhai Patel 11. Shri Sanjay Kaka Patil 12. Shri Dipsinh Shankarsinh Rathod

RAJYA SABHA

13. Sardar Balwinder Singh Bhunder 14. Shri Harshvardhan Singh Dungarpur 15. Dr. Kirodi Lal Meena 16. Shri K. Bhabananda Singh 17. Shri Pradeep Tamta

SECRETARIAT

1. Dr. Preeti Srivastava - Joint Secretary 2. Shri Raju Srivastava - Director 3. Shri R.C. Sharma - Additional Director

2. At the outset, the Chairperson welcomed the Members to the sitting of the Committee. Thereafter, the Committee took up for consideration (a) Draft Report on Demands for Grants (2019-20) of the Ministry of Jal Shakti -Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation; and (b) Draft Report on Demands for Grants (2019-20) of the Ministry of Jal Shakti - Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation. After some deliberations, the Committee adopted the aforesaid two draft Reports without any modification.

3. The Committee then authorized the Chairperson to present the above two Reports to both the Houses of Parliament in the current Winter Session.

The Committee then adjourned

***