Latest news with #RajBhushanChoudhary
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
State has used upto 60% of its groundwater, Rajya Sabha told
1 2 Bhopal: The state has extracted nearly 60% of its groundwater reserves, placing it among the country's most water-stressed states, Rajya Sabha was informed. The state's extraction rate is higher than those of neighbouring Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. The state ranks 12th nationally in terms of groundwater extraction as a percentage of total available resources. Punjab recorded the highest stage of groundwater extraction, followed by Rajasthan. The data was shared on Aug 4 by the Union minister of state for Jal Shakti, Raj Bhushan Choudhary, in response to a written query from MPs Subhash Barala, Mayankkumar Nayak, Kesridevsinh Jhala and Narayana Koragappa. The Rajya Sabha members had sought details on the status of groundwater across states, pollution levels, and measures being taken to address the crisis. Choudhary replied that assessment of dynamic groundwater resources of each state/UT was being carried out on an annual basis jointly by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), and the concerned state nodal/ground water departments. As per the report of 'National Compilation of Dynamic Ground Water Resources of India, 2024', the total annual groundwater recharge in the country has been assessed as 446.9 billion cubic metres (bcm). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Most Beautiful Women In The World Undo Total annual extractable groundwater resource has been assessed as 406.19 bcm, and the total annual groundwater extraction for all purposes (like domestic, industrial, agricultural uses etc) is estimated as 245.64 bcm. The stage of groundwater extraction (SoE), which is defined as a ratio of annual groundwater extraction over annual extractable groundwater resources for the whole country, has arrived at 60.47%. Water being a state subject, sustainable development and management of groundwater resources are primarily the responsibility of the state govts. However, the central govt facilitates the efforts of the state govts by way of technical and financial assistance through its various schemes and projects. In this direction, the important steps taken by the ministry included the govt implemented "Jal Shakti Abhiyan" launched in 2019. As per the Abhiyan dashboard, in the past 4 years, more than 1.14 cr water harvesting and recharge works have been completed through coordination in the country. Further, the CGWB has also completed the National Aquifer Mapping project covering approximately 25 lakh square km of mappable area across the country. The central govt is implementing Atal Bhujal Yojana in 80 water stressed districts of 7 states which has community-led sustainable management of groundwater resources and demand management as its core theme. The CGWA has been constituted under the ministry for the purpose of regulation and control of groundwater development and management in the country. It generates ground water quality data of the entire country on a regional scale as part of its groundwater quality monitoring program and various scientific studies. It may be recalled that 'Dynamic Groundwater Resources of Madhya Pradesh 2024' report had revealed that groundwater extraction in parts of Madhya Pradesh, including its major cities, Bhopal and Indore has reached alarming levels. The industrial capital Indore was rated in "critical", while Bhopal was under "semi-critical" category and had extracted close to 80 per cent of groundwater. The state's Malwa region overall was rated in the critical category. The report stated out of the total 317 assessment units (hydrogeological units), 225 assessment units fall in the safe category, 61 assessment units fall under semi-critical, 5 in critical and 26 fall in the over exploited category.
Time of India
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
State has used up 60% of its groundwater, Rajya Sabha told
Bhopal: The state has extracted nearly 60% of its groundwater reserves, placing it among the country's most water-stressed states, Rajya Sabha was informed. The state's extraction rate is higher than those of neighbouring Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. The state ranks 12th nationally in terms of groundwater extraction as a percentage of total available resources. Punjab recorded the highest stage of groundwater extraction, followed by Rajasthan. The data was shared on Aug 4 by the Union minister of state for Jal Shakti, Raj Bhushan Choudhary, in response to a written query from MPs Subhash Barala, Mayankkumar Nayak, Kesridevsinh Jhala and Narayana Koragappa. The Rajya Sabha members had sought details on the status of groundwater across states, pollution levels, and measures being taken to address the crisis. Choudhary replied that assessment of dynamic groundwater resources of each state/UT was being carried out on an annual basis jointly by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), and the concerned state nodal/ground water departments. As per the report of 'National Compilation of Dynamic Ground Water Resources of India, 2024', the total annual groundwater recharge in the country has been assessed as 446.9 billion cubic metres (bcm). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Overpaying for Car Insurance? Find Out With This Quick and Easy Tool. AutoSaveMax Get Quote Undo Total annual extractable groundwater resource has been assessed as 406.19 bcm, and the total annual groundwater extraction for all purposes (like domestic, industrial, agricultural uses etc) is estimated as 245.64 bcm. The stage of groundwater extraction (SoE), which is defined as a ratio of annual groundwater extraction over annual extractable groundwater resources for the whole country, has arrived at 60.47%. Water being a state subject, sustainable development and management of groundwater resources are primarily the responsibility of the state govts. However, the central govt facilitates the efforts of the state govts by way of technical and financial assistance through its various schemes and projects. In this direction, the important steps taken by the ministry included the govt implemented "Jal Shakti Abhiyan" launched in 2019. As per the Abhiyan dashboard, in the past 4 years, more than 1.14 cr water harvesting and recharge works have been completed through coordination in the country. Further, the CGWB has also completed the National Aquifer Mapping project covering approximately 25 lakh square km of mappable area across the country. The central govt is implementing Atal Bhujal Yojana in 80 water stressed districts of 7 states which has community-led sustainable management of groundwater resources and demand management as its core theme. The CGWA has been constituted under the ministry for the purpose of regulation and control of groundwater development and management in the country. It generates ground water quality data of the entire country on a regional scale as part of its groundwater quality monitoring program and various scientific studies. It may be recalled that 'Dynamic Groundwater Resources of Madhya Pradesh 2024' report had revealed that groundwater extraction in parts of Madhya Pradesh, including its major cities, Bhopal and Indore has reached alarming levels. The industrial capital Indore was rated in "critical", while Bhopal was under "semi-critical" category and had extracted close to 80 per cent of groundwater. The state's Malwa region overall was rated in the critical category. The report stated out of the total 317 assessment units (hydrogeological units), 225 assessment units fall in the safe category, 61 assessment units fall under semi-critical, 5 in critical and 26 fall in the over exploited category.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Sabarmati most polluted river stretch in state
Gandhinagar: Thirteen stretches of rivers in Gujarat have been officially classified as polluted, with the Sabarmati emerging as the most contaminated, according to data tabled by the Union govt in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The assessment is based on biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) — a key indicator of water pollution. BOD measures the amount of oxygen consumed by microorganisms to break down organic matter in water. A higher BOD implies more organic waste, which reduces oxygen levels and endangers aquatic life. Quoting a 2022 report, the Union govt said in reply to a question in the Lok Sabha that 13 stretches of rivers in Gujarat have been identified as polluted. Of these, six are categorized as Priority I (worst polluted), one each as Priority-II, III and IV, while four stretches have been categorized as Priority-V (least polluted). However, the number of polluted stretches of rivers has decreased from 20 in 2018 to 13 in 2022. The stretch of the Sabarmati river between Raysan to Vautha is the worst polluted in Gujarat with a BOD of 292mg per litre, the union govt said on Thursday. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Featuring Brigade Valencia™ at Brigade Showcase 2025 | Aug 8–10, Sheraton Grand, Brigade Gateway Brigade Group Learn More Undo You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad Gujarat MP Mukesh Dalal on Thursday sought information on whether the govt has comprehensive data on the pollution levels of rivers in Gujarat, and details of the most severely affected rivers in the state. He also sought details of the primary sources of pollution in Gujarat's rivers and the specific initiatives undertaken by the government to clean and rejuvenate polluted rivers. In his question in the Lok Sabha, the MP sought details of financial allocation made for river cleaning projects in Gujarat, the actual expenditure incurred during the last five years and what long-term policies have been formulated to check and prevent further river pollution and ensure sustainable water resources keeping in view the rapid urbanization and industrialization in the state. In a written reply, union minister of state for Jal Shakti, Raj Bhushan Choudhary said rivers in the country are polluted mainly due to discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage from cities and towns and industrial effluents in their respective catchments, dumping of solid wastes, agricultural run-off, problems in operation and maintenance of sewage or effluent treatment plants, lack of dilution and other non-point sources of pollution. "Rapid urbanization and industrialization have compounded the challenges. It is the primary responsibility of states and local bodies to ensure required treatment of sewage and industrial effluents, before discharging into recipient waterbodies or land for prevention and control of pollution," the minister said in the written reply. Providing information on the measures to prevent pollution of rivers in Gujarat, the minister said in his reply that pollution abatement schemes for conservation of Sabarmati, Tapi and Mindhola rivers were sanctioned at a total cost of Rs 1,875.29 crore and sewage treatment capacity of 697 million litres per day (MLD) was created.
NDTV
7 days ago
- Business
- NDTV
641 Million Litres Of Untreated Sewage Entering Yamuna From Delhi Each Day
The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has estimated that 641 million litres of untreated sewage per day enter the Yamuna from the capital, worsening pollution in the key water body. As of June 2025, the 37 sewage treatment plants in operation, which have a combined capacity of 3,474 million litres per day (MLD), were only treating 2,955 MLD of the 3,596 MLD of sewage generated by the city. Of these, 14 STPs were non-compliant with the Delhi Pollution Control Committee standards. The Central Pollution Control Board conducts monthly assessments of the Yamuna's water quality at Palla, Nizamuddin Bridge, and Okhla Barrage as part of the National Water Quality Monitoring Programme, measuring factors such as biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, and faecal coliform since January 2025. In 2024, the CPCB evaluated 189 grossly polluting industries within the Yamuna basin, releasing 1.33 million liters per day (MLD) of treated wastewater, which contributed a pollution load of 0.046 tonnes per day in biochemical oxygen demand. Out of the 158 operational grossly polluting industries, 49 were found to be in violation of discharge regulations or did not possess valid consent, resulting in the issuance of 40 show-cause notices and nine directives for closure from State Pollution Control Boards/Pollution Control Committees. Under the Namami Gange Programme, nine projects costing Rs 1,951 crores have been completed, creating a sewerage treatment capacity of 1,268 MLD. Since January 2025, Rs 140 crore has been allocated for Yamuna cleaning by the National Mission for Clean Ganga and the Government of NCT of Delhi, with Rs 108.31 crores utilised. The Ministry of Jal Shakti is supporting Yamuna rejuvenation through financial aid to Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. Projects at various stages of planning, construction, and completion are being closely monitored, said Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Raj Bhushan Choudhary, in a written reply in Lok Sabha on Thursday.
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Centre advises UP to assess Yamuna rubber dam's potential impact on Taj Mahal foundation
The Centre has advised the Uttar Pradesh government to scientifically assess the potential impact of the proposed Yamuna rubber dam on the Taj Mahal's foundation and structural integrity, Lok Sabha was told Thursday. The state government plans to construct the rubber dam 1.5 km downstream of the monument in Agra. A rubber dam is made of fabric coated with rubber. The height of the rubber dam can be adjusted by regulating the amount of water or air inside it. It is fixed on a concrete foundation and can be inflated or deflated to control the river's flow. In a written reply to Lok Sabha, Minister of State of Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary said Uttar Pradesh's Irrigation and Water Resources Department has been 'advised to conduct a detailed scientific assessment & Hydro geological study of the potential impact of impounding water through the proposed rubber dam on the foundation and structural integrity of the Taj Mahal…' He said the state has also been asked to furnish details of a mechanism to ensure continuous flow in the river 'so as to tackle water quality'. 'Upon receipt of such proposals, NMCG (National Mission on Clean Ganga) undertakes a detailed examination to assess potential impacts on river morphology, ambient environment, structural integrity of the proposed structures, etc. before granting approval. This review also considers the status of statutory clearances obtained from relevant departments and agencies, as applicable,' the minister said in response to a question by BJP member Rajkumar Chahar. In March 2019, the Uttar Pradesh government had sought clearance for the project from the NMCG, which comes under the Jal Shakti Ministry. The same year, the state also moved a proposal seeking environmental clearance. According to the proposal, 28.975 hectares — comprising river areas, government land, barren land and agricultural land — are required for the dam and other facilities. In 2022, the Jal Shakti Ministry informed Rajya Sabha that as per the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) there was no threat to the stability of the foundation of Taj Mahal. 'Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has informed that there is no threat to the stability of the foundation of Taj Mahal. It is further informed by ASI that regular monitoring is done by ASI in this regard and that the monument is in a good state of conservation,' said Bishweswar Tudu, then Minister of State for Jal Shakti, in a written reply to Lok Sabha on August 1, 2022. Tudu's reply came in response to Rajya Sabha member Dr Ashok Bajpai, who had asked 'whether government is aware that for want of a dam/barrage on river Yamuna, there is a threat to the stability of the foundation of the iconic Taj Mahal'.
