Atal Bhujal Yojana - Jal Jeevan Mission:-
Sustainable groundwater management is the goal of the Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal), which focuses on bringing together a number of ongoing programs with the active participation of local communities and stakeholders. This will guarantee that the funds provided by the Central and State governments will be prudently spent in the Scheme area to ensure the long-term viability of groundwater resources. The primary objective of the pilot program is to improve the institutional framework for participatory groundwater management.
After receiving financial approval from the World Bank in 2018, the Indian Government launched the Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABY) in December 2019 in order to acknowledge and contain the ever-increasing issue of groundwater depletion. It was launched under the government's Jal Jeevan Mission.
What precisely is Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABY)?
The program's objective was to emphasize groundwater resource replenishment and enhance groundwater resource exploitation with community participation.
The Jal Shakti Ministry, formerly known as the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation, will be in charge of implementing and overseeing the plan.
The World Bank will provide the remaining funding in the form of a loan, with the Government covering half of the scheme's costs.
The government plans to give gram panchayats and states 50 percent of the money as incentives for achieving groundwater management goals to encourage community participation.
The plan is being implemented in 8353 Gram Panchayats in Haryana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh that are experiencing water shortages. The Atal Bhujal Yojana aims to manage groundwater through community participation in priority areas of the country.
Alluvial and hard rock aquifers are the two main types of groundwater systems found in India. The plan takes care of these.
Priorities addressed:
Haryana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
In terms of groundwater, these states account for about 25% of India's over-exploited, critical, and semi-critical blocks.
Through awareness programs and capacity building for fostering sustainable groundwater management in the participating States, it also aims to change behavior at the community level.
What is Atal Bhujal Yojana's objective?
The Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal) aims to demonstrate scaleable community-led sustainable groundwater management.
The Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal) is a Central Sector Scheme that will cost INR 6000 crore to fund. Of that, INR 3,000 crore will come from a loan from the World Bank and INR 3,000 crore will come from the Government of India (GoI) as a matching contribution.
The states will receive grants-in-aid in exchange for the scheme's funds.
The World Bank's financing will be provided through a brand-new lending instrument known as the Program for Results (PforR). Under the plan, funds will be transferred from the World Bank to the Government of India contingent on the achievement of predetermined outcomes.
The Atal Bhujal Yojana's scope includes four major concerns regarding sustainable groundwater management, including state-specific institutional frameworks for sustainable groundwater management;
enhancement of the recharge of groundwater;
a more effective use of water; and building up community-based institutions to help manage groundwater
Atal Bhujal Yojana will not cover the following potential investment categories:
major dams and new large-scale irrigation systems are being built; and the collection, treatment, and application of industrial wastewater for groundwater recharge.
In addition, the Program does not provide funding for activities that are likely to have significant negative effects on the environment that are sensitive, diverse, or unprecedented and/or affect people.
In a similar vein, activities involving the acquisition of high-value contracts for works, services, and goods typically will not be eligible for financing.
India's groundwater issue A study found that groundwater accounts for nearly 80% of domestic water supplies, both in rural and urban areas.
Due to its growing number of dark zones, India is deemed responsible for approximately 25% of groundwater abstraction, according to another World Bank report.
What are dark zones in groundwater?
areas where there is an excessive use of groundwater.
In this case, the annual rate of groundwater recharge exceeds the annual rate of consumption.
State and national records of such dark zones are kept by the government.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Atal Bhujal Yojana: What is the Atal Bhujal Yojana's Purpose?
Ans. A Central Sector Scheme to facilitate sustainable groundwater management is the Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL). In identified water-stressed areas in several states, the scheme places an emphasis on community participation and demand-side interventions for sustainable groundwater management.
What number of states are included in the Atal Bhujal Yojana?
Ans. In 8353 Gram Panchayats in Haryana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh that are experiencing water shortages, the Atal Bhujal program has been implemented.
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