Introduction
Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal) was declared as the flagship programme initiated on 25th December 2019, on the special occasion of the 95th birth anniversary of the late Prime Minister Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It will be carried out every year for five years between financial years 2020-21 and 2024-25.
Atal Jal is being implemented in 8,562 gram panchayats of 80 districts in seven states: Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The purpose of this plan is to augment the central and state government programs for the community-based sustainable groundwater management, which will be accomplished by combining various prominent schemes. The Atal Jal scheme aims at water conservation and efficiency and is an initiative undertaken by the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and now the Jal Shakti Ministry.
To motivate the citizens to participate in the management scheme, 50% of fund will be given to gram panchayats and states as incentives for accomplishment of the set-out targets in groundwater management.
Objective Of The Scheme
One of the key aspects of Atal Jal is to attain behavioural changes in the community, from the prevailing attitude of consumption to conservation and smart water management. Moreover, the scheme tries to improve the management of groundwater resources in the water stressed areas of selected states. This could be achieved through appropriate investments/management actions led by the community through convergence of various ongoing/new central and state schemes.
Beneficiaries Of The Scheme
The recipients of Atal Jal are the economies, occupations, and social orders that depend upon ground water assets for their wellbeing. Arresting the drop in groundwater levels can guarantee enough water for farming, homes, and businesses, which would benefit everyone. It would positively impact:
- Women, small marginal farmers, and agricultural labourers
- Central and state government agencies responsible for ground water management
- Population affected by floods and droughts, particularly poor people living in rural areas
- Environment and agriculture ministries; research and educational institutions; NGOs; civil society organisations; students and researchers; and the private sector
Features Of The Scheme
- In seven selected water-stressed areas of the country, this programme will prioritise community engagement and demand intervention for sustainable groundwater management.
- The programme aims to improve source sustainability, help double the income of farmers, and change community behaviour to encourage water conservation.
- The government plans to invest US$ 719 million (Rs. 6,000 crore) for the Atal Jal Scheme.
- The World Bank will lend US$ 359 million (Rs. 3,000 crore), while the Indian government will invest US$ 359 million (Rs. 3,000 crore).
- Under this plan, states will receive funds in the form of grants-in-aid.
- The scheme will include 8,353 water-stressed gram panchayats in Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana.
- In March 2023, the scheme was bestowed the Excellence award for the ‘Best Sustainable Water Management – Government’ by Water Digest magazine.
Recent Developments
- The Atal Bhujal Mission is set to expand its reach to encompass the entire state of Uttar Pradesh. Initially, it ran as a pilot project in ten districts: Mahoba, Jhansi, Banda, Hamirpur, Chitrakoot, Lalitpur, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Baghpat, and Meerut. Additionally, Haryana’s Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Department has earmarked a budget of Rs. 723 crores (US$ 84.73 million) to implement the Atal Bhujal Yojana, with 50% financial assistance from the World Bank, contributing to water body conservation and strengthening relevant organisations from FY21 to FY25.
- On June 19, 2024, Hon'ble Financial Commissioner Revenue & Addl. Chief Secretary to the Government of Haryana Mr. TVSN Prasad announced the approval of a Rs. 184.24 crore (US$ 22.06 million) incentive fund utilization plan under the Atal Bhujal Yojana, aimed at enhancing groundwater resources and promoting sustainable water management across 1,647 Gram Panchayats in 36 blocks of 14 districts, with significant allocations for various projects, including riverbed recharge, AI-enabled pump controllers, and rainwater harvesting initiatives, while also emphasizing the state's exemplary performance in groundwater management, leading to an additional allocation of Rs. 144.85 crores (US$ 17.26 million), totalling Rs. 615.37 crores (US$ 73.72 million) in incentive funds to date.
- On September 2023, the term of Uttarakhand chief secretary, Mrs. Radha Raturi directed the establishment of a state-level steering committee under the Atal Bhujal Yojana to enhance groundwater resources in water-scarce districts (Champawat, Haridwar, and Udham Singh Nagar) while facilitating coordination among various state agencies, promoting community involvement, and ensuring sustainable groundwater management through training, awareness programs, and monthly reviews.
Financial Outlay
The financial outlay for the scheme from FY 2020–21 to FY 2023–24 is Rs.1,688 crore (US$ 202.13 million). Year-wise funds allocation is given below:
|
Financial Year |
Budget Allocated (Rs. in crore) |
|
2020–21 |
109.0 |
|
2021–22 |
310.4 |
|
2022–23 |
1,138.5 |
|
2023–24 |
1,000 |
|
2024–25 |
1,778 |
|
2025–26 |
1,780.40 |
|
Total |
6,113.6 |
At the initiation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scheme, 3.23 crore (17%) rural households were reported to have tap water connections. As reported by the states/UTs, around 9.40 crore additional rural households were provided with tap water connections under JJM as of July 2023. Thus, as of July 2023, out of the 19.47 crore rural households in the country, around 12.63 crore (64.9%) households are reported to have tap water supply in their homes and the remaining 6.84 crore households are estimated to be covered by 2024.
Empowering groundwater management through Atal Bhujal Yojana
Decision support tools for groundwater management
- To operationalise and standardise programme implementation across the participating states, the Ministry of Jal Shakti has developed a Management Information System (MIS).
Strengthen community-based institutions to foster management
- Atal Bhujal incentives will promote the activities to develop enabling institutions and build the necessary database for bottom-up, participatory planning as well as execution of appropriate groundwater management and usage solutions. This is a significant departure from the business-as-usual approach and will help achieve long-term groundwater management on a larger scale.
Improve water use efficiency and enhance groundwater recharge
- The programme promotes volumetric metering and real-time data systems. It also enhances public awareness about the necessity of sound groundwater management. Furthermore, the programme supports on-the-ground efforts based on community ownership and sensible water resource management.
Components of Atal Bhujal Yojana scheme
The scheme includes arrangements for sustainable groundwater management in the states, like improving monitoring networks, capacity building, and strengthening of Water User Associations.
It also includes incentivising the states for achievements in improved groundwater management practices, such as data dissemination, preparation of water security plans, implementation of management interventions through the convergence of ongoing schemes, and adoption of demand-side management practices.
Conclusion
Atal Bhujal Yojana is a significant initiative aimed at sustainable management of groundwater resources in India. The scheme aims to mitigate the adverse effects of water wastage by promoting decentralised groundwater management practices, encouraging community involvement, and promoting the adoption of efficient irrigation techniques. Additionally, the emphasis on data-driven decision-making and technological interventions enhances its effectiveness and sustainability.
In conclusion, Atal Bhujal Yojana represents a vital step towards achieving water sustainability and resilience in India. Through collaborative efforts and innovative strategies, Atal Jal has the potential to significantly alleviate water stress, promote equitable access to groundwater resources, and foster socio-economic development in the country.
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