Latest news with #UnionJalShaktiMinistry
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Congress MLA Anant Patel says will go ahead with Aug 14 protest
Congress MLA and Tribal leader Anant Patel on Wednesday said the protest against the Par-Tapi-Narmada river link project will be held as planned at Dharampur in Valsad on August 14. He made the announcement after BJP MP Dhaval Patel, in a press conference, released a letter received from the Union Jal Shakti Ministry which states that the Par-Tapi-Narmada river link project has been discontinued. On August 10, Dhaval Patel wrote a letter to the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti seeking the current status of the Par-Tapi-Narmada river link project. In its reply, the Union Jal Shakti Ministry said: 'In the 21st Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers (SCILR), meeting held on 14th December 2023, this project was also reviewed, and it was recorded that the ministry has discontinued this project from the status of Priority links under NPP.' A copy of the document, signed by Senior Joint Commissioner Avanti Verma of the Union Jal Shakti Ministry, is with The Indian Express. Speaking on the occasion, Dhaval Patel accused the Congress of spreading fake information on the Par-Tapi-Narmada link project. 'The Central and state governments had in 2022-23 clarified that such a project had been discontinued. Today, we have received an official letter from the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti stating that the project has been discontinued. The DPR (Detail Project Report), which the Congress leader released, was of 2017,' Dhaval Patel said. Reacting to the remarks of the Valsad MP, the Congress MLA said he does not have faith in the BJP government and that the protest against the project will be held as planned. 'The state Cabinet discussed the issue today (Wednesday) and the government said that the project has been discontinued. I don't have faith in the BJP government. We will go ahead with our protest on August 14 at Dharampur town,' Anant Patel said. 'Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel should come out and give us a clarification on the issue. Otherwise, we will go ahead with our protest,' the Vansda MLA added.
The Hindu
29-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Around 74% of 1,087 monitored wells in Karnataka showed rise in groundwater level: Minister
The Union Jal Shakti Ministry has said that 74% of the 1,087 monitored wells in Karnataka have registered a rise in groundwater level in a span of one decade. On July 24, Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary gave this information to Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Member of Parliament Kota Srinivas Poojary in response to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha on declining groundwater levels in Karnataka. The Minister said the Central Groundwater Board (CGWB) monitors groundwater levels throughout the country four times every year. The district-wise groundwater level data measured during post-monsoon 2024 (November) in Karnataka indicated around 96% of the measured wells have shown water levels in the range of 0-10 metres below ground level, indicating ease of access to groundwater. Decadal mean Mr. Choudhary said district-wise groundwater level data of November 2024 was compared with the decadal mean of November month of 10 years (2014-2023). The analysis indicated that around 74% of the wells monitored (1,087) have registered a rise in groundwater level. Of the 1,087 wells, 611 (56.21%) have shown 0-2 metre rise; 127 (11.68%) shown 2-4 metre, and 66 (6.07%) wells have shown more than 4 metre rise. On the other hand, 242 (22.6%) wells have recorded 0-2 metre fall in the level while 26 (2.39%) wells have recorded more than 4 metre fall in the level, the Minister said. 16.66 lakh water structures The Minister said the government is implementing Jal Shakti Abhiyan across India since 2019 for harvesting rainfall and taking up water conservation activities. JSA was an umbrella campaign under which various groundwater recharge and conservation work was being undertaken in convergence with various Central and State schemes. 'As per the information available on JSA dashboard, a total of around 16.66 lakh water conservation and artificial recharge structures have been constructed or renovated in Karnataka since 2021. Additionally, 31 Jal Shakti Kendras have been set up at each district for dissemination of water-related knowledge and consultation by citizens,' he said. Karnataka is one among seven states where Atal Bhujal Yojna, a community-led scheme for participatory groundwater management on demand-side management, is being implemented in 80 water-stressed districts. As many as 4,056 Amrit Sarovars were either constructed or rejuvenated in Karnataka under Mission Amrit Sarovar that aims to rejuvenate at least 75 water bodies in each district. The Central and the State governments have spent ₹9,148 crore on water conservation, groundwater recharge and rainwater water harvesting activities from April 2021 to July 2025, he added.
Hans India
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Telangana refuses to discuss Banakacherla
Hyderabad: The Telangana government is likely to boycott the meeting convened by Union Jal Shakti Ministry with the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on water-sharing disputes in New Delhi on Wednesday as the Central government has put the controversial Banakacherla river-linking project on the agenda. The state government has already raised strong objections to the inclusion of the Banakacherla lift irrigation project proposed by the Andhra Pradesh government on the agenda of Wednesday's meeting. An official delegation led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was invited to take part in the meeting to thrash out interstate water disputes between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. However, the Telangana government demanded the Centre to remove the Banakacherla project from the agenda. In a strongly worded letter to the Secretary of the Union Jal Shakti Ministry, Telangana Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao stated that there is no need to deliberate on the Polavaram (Godavari)-Banakacherla river-linking project, as it lacked necessary permissions and violated various laws and tribunal judgments. Rao pointed out that the project violated the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) Award of 1980 and the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 by proposing to alter water allocations and project operations without mandatory consultation and consent of all co-basin states. The project also lacked statutory clearances from the Central Water Commission (CWC), Godavari River Management Board (GRMB), Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), and the Apex Council, he added. Instead, the Telangana government requested the Centre to include its own pending irrigation projects, which are awaiting approval and financial assistance, as part of the meeting agenda. It reiterated that the Banakacherla project would undermine Telangana's interests and has been objected to in official communications with the Centre. It also sought, among others, allocation of 80 TMC to the Pranahita project on Godavari River and financial assistance for it. Meanwhile, the Telangana government has decided to intensify efforts and "mount pressure" on the Centre to safeguard its rightful share of Krishna and Godavari River waters. The state government would push for Central approvals for its projects on the Krishna River, seek finalisation of water allocations and request financial assistance for the projects, according to an official statement. The Telangana government also accused the previous BRS regime of 'failing' to secure the state's share in Krishna waters despite being in power for 10 years. The BRS government had agreed to Telangana getting 299 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic feet) of water as its share, while neighbouring Andhra Pradesh got 512 TMC, it said. The government further alleged that the BRS government remained silent while Andhra diverted Krishna water and built 'illegal' projects.
Hans India
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Harish Rao seeks apex council meet on APRA violations
Hyderabad: Complimenting Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy for his strong letter to the Union Jal Shakti Ministry objecting to Andhra Pradesh's Banakacherla Project, senior BRS leader Harish Rao has suggested that the Irrigation Minister press the Centre to convene an Apex Council meeting to discuss violations of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014. The BRS leader addressed a letter to the Irrigation Minister on Sunday, requesting him to convene an all party meeting or a special session of the Assembly to discuss the issue and formulate a policy decision. Mr Rao stated that, as per the Godavari Tribunal Award, engineers during the undivided Andhra Pradesh period had asserted the state should receive 1,480 TMC of water, with Telangana projects being allocated 969 TMCs through various Government Orders. However, due to a lack of project construction and several projects still being under construction, Telangana's utilisation had never even reached 200 TMCs. He noted that the previous BRS government stabilised 19 lakh acres and also provided water to one lakh acres by undertaking barrages such as Sadarmat, Sundila, Annaram, Medigadda, Sammakkasagar, and Sitarammasagar in the Godavari basin. Mr Rao warned that with the Andhra Pradesh government attempting to draw 200 TMCs from the Godavari, Telangana stands to lose out. He recalled that even before the formation of the Godavari Tribunal, the AP government aimed to complete the Banakacherla project to divert 200 TMCs. He urged the Minister to hold discussions with engineers and make a favourable decision for Telangana.
Scroll.in
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Indus Waters Treaty will stay suspended until Pakistan stops ‘support for terrorism': New Delhi
The Indus Waters Treaty will stay suspended until Pakistan 'credibly and irrevocably' stop its 'support for cross-border terrorism', the Union Jal Shakti Ministry has informed the Cabinet secretary, reported PTI on Saturday. On April 23, a day after the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 persons were killed, India suspended the 1960 agreement on water sharing, citing Islamabad's support for 'sustained cross-border terrorism'. On Tuesday, Debashree Mukherjee, secretary in the Water Resources Ministry, reiterated in the monthly report to Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan that the treaty was kept in 'abeyance' in the aftermath of the 'Pakistan-sponsored' attack. The treaty sought to divide the water of the Indus river and its tributaries equitably between the two countries. Under the treaty, water from three eastern rivers – Beas, Ravi and Sutlej – were allocated to India and from the three western rivers – Chenab, Indus and Jhelum – to Pakistan. The treaty permitted both countries to use the other's rivers for certain purposes, such as small hydroelectric projects that require little or no water storage. It allowed for the harnessing of the Chenab, which is one of the western rivers in the Indus Water system, for power generation. Pakistan had earlier said that India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty was an 'act of war' and warned that it would respond with 'full force across the complete spectrum of national power'. Islamabad called New Delhi's actions 'unilateral, unjust, politically motivated, extremely irresponsible and devoid of legal merit', according to a statement of Pakistan's National Security Committee published by Dawn. On May 10, India and Pakistan reached an 'understanding' to halt firing following a four-day conflict. Tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad had escalated on May 7 when the Indian military carried out strikes – codenamed Operation Sindoor – on what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The strikes were in response to the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. The Pakistan Army retaliated to Indian strikes by repeatedly shelling Indian villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. At least 22 Indian civilians and seven defence personnel were killed.
