Context
- Recently, Union Minister of Jal Shakti highlighted that water security is fundamental to achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat (Developed India). He emphasized that flagship initiatives such as the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), Namami Gange Programme (NGP), and Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY) have significantly improved access to safe drinking water, sanitation, groundwater management, and river conservation, thereby strengthening India’s water security.
- India is rapidly transitioning toward an integrated water management ecosystem to address a fundamental geographical disparity: India sustains nearly 18% of the world’s population but possesses only about 4% of global freshwater resources.
Some Important Flagship Initiatives
1. Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)
- Launched in 2019
- Scale: It is classified as the world’s largest rural drinking water supply programme.
- Coverage Status: Rural household tap water coverage has increased from approximately 17% (3.23 crore households) at the time of launch to over 81% (15.8 crore households).
- Target: The government aims to achieve 100% coverage by 2028.
- Socio-Economic Impact: The expansion of tap water saves an estimated 5.5 crore person-hours daily, primarily reducing the water-fetching burden historically placed on rural women.
2. Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen (SBM-G)
- Launched in 2014
- Health Impact: According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) assessment, SBM-Grameen averted more than 3 lakh diarrhoea-related deaths between 2014 and October 2019.
- SBM-Grameen 2.0: The mission has evolved beyond achieving Open Defecation Free (ODF) status. The defining characteristic of Phase 2.0 is the transition toward sustainable solid and liquid waste management.
3. Groundwater Conservation
- Initiative: Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari.
- Infrastructure: Over 1.55 crore rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge structures have been established across the country (as of May 2026).
- Outcome: These conservation efforts have led to a measurable improvement in groundwater recharge, specifically resulting in a reduction in the number of “over-exploited assessment units” in various parts of the country.
4. River Interlinking Projects
- Project: Ken-Betwa River Linking Project.
- Significance: It is India’s first major river interlinking initiative.
- Beneficiary Region: Primarily designed to transfer water to the arid Bundelkhand region.
5. Namami Gange Programme (Environmental Indicators)
- Launched in 2014.
- Infrastructure: Added 4,260 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage treatment capacity over the past decade.
- Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD): The project has successfully reduced BOD from 26 tonnes per day (TPD) in 2017 to 10.75 TPD in 2024. (PYQ Focus: UPSC frequently tests BOD as an indicator of water pollution; a reduction in BOD signifies lower organic pollution and improved water health).
- Water Quality: Monitoring indicates that pH and dissolved oxygen levels in the Ganga currently meet standard “bathing criteria” at all monitored locations.
6. Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal)
- Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal): A Central Sector Scheme launched on 25 December 2019 to promote community-led sustainable groundwater management in water-stressed areas of 7 States—Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
- Significance: The scheme supports water source sustainability for the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) through participatory groundwater management, water budgeting, and aquifer recharge.
7. Mission Amrit Sarovar
- Launched in April 2022, Mission Amrit Sarovar is a flagship Government of India initiative to develop and rejuvenate at least 75 water bodies in every district across the country.
- Each pond is planned to have a minimum area of one acre (0.4 hectare) and a water storage capacity of about 10,000 cubic metres.
| Central Ground Water Board: The CGWB, established under the Ministry of Water Resources, (now Ministry of Jal Shakti), is the apex body for managing, exploring, monitoring, assessing, and regulating groundwater resources in India. Headquarter at Faridabad. Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA): Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) was constituted under sub-section (3) of Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for the purposes of regulation and control of ground water development and management in the country. Country’s Groundwater Resources: India extracts over 245 billion cubic meters of groundwater (25%) annually, fulfilling roughly 85% of rural drinking water and 62% of irrigation needs. The percentage of Over Exploited Assessment units have declined from 17.24 % in 2017 to 11.13 % in 2024. |
The Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) has been constituted under which of the following Acts?
(a) Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
(b) Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
(c) National Water Policy, 2012
(d) River Boards Act, 1956
Correct Answer: (b) Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
Explanation:
The Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) was constituted by the Central Government under Section 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for the purpose of regulating and controlling groundwater development and management across the country.
Why the other options are incorrect:
• (a) Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 – Establishes the Central and State Pollution Control Boards for water pollution control; it does not constitute the CGWA.
• (c) National Water Policy, 2012 – A policy document providing guidelines for water resource management, not a statutory Act.
• (d) River Boards Act, 1956 – Provides for the establishment of River Boards for inter-state river basin development; it is unrelated to the constitution of the CGWA.