The Centre advocates expanding the successful Atal Bhujal Yojana nationwide to tackle India's groundwater crisis. Secretary Debashree Mukherjee stressed mandatory water budgeting in gram panchayats and community ownership. Supported by the World Bank, the scheme has improved water management, increased community participation, and promoted water-efficient farming, demonstrating a model for sustainable and inclusive water systems.
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Picture Courtesy: THE HINDU
Government pushes for nationwide expansion of the Atal Bhujal Yojana to empower communities and manage groundwater crises.
It is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, launched in December 2019.
It aims to achieve groundwater sustainability by empowering local communities, especially at the Gram Panchayat level, to take ownership of groundwater management.
Target Areas => The scheme initially focuses on 80 water-stressed districts and 8,565 Gram Panchayats across seven states: Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
Funding and Duration => The scheme has a total outlay of ₹6,000 crore, with 50% as a World Bank loan and 50% as matching contributions from the Government of India. It is implemented over a period of five years, from 2020-21 to 2024-25.
Atal Jal adopts a unique demand-side management approach, shifting focus from merely creating infrastructure to promoting behavioral change and local governance in water use.
Community Ownership => It empowers local institutions, especially Gram Panchayats, to take active responsibility for groundwater use and conservation.
Water Budgeting => A core element involves mandatory water budgeting at the Gram Panchayat level. This means assessing the available groundwater resources versus the water demand, encouraging judicious use and planning based on local realities.
Long-Term Operation & Maintenance (O&M) => Developing and implementing long-term operation and maintenance plans for the water infrastructure created under the scheme, to ensure the sustainability and longevity of water conservation efforts.
Replication of Successes => Participating states are encouraged to identify and replicate successful pilot projects within their regions, to enhance other water conservation initiatives.
Behavioral Change => It promotes a shift towards more water-efficient crops and sustainable farming practices, to reduce the overall groundwater use.
Given the proven success and the escalating climate challenges impacting water resources, the Central Government is pushing for the nationwide expansion of the Atal Bhujal Yojana.
A key recommendation from the Centre is to make water budgeting mandatory in all gram panchayats across the country, extending the successful practice beyond the initial target areas.
The Centre encourages states to widely replicate the success models demonstrated under Atal Jal to build sustainable and inclusive groundwater management systems across India.
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Critically analyze the role of community participation and local governance, such as through Pani Panchayats and Gram Sabhas, in promoting sustainable groundwater management at the grassroots level. 150 words |
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