Rajeev Chandrasekhar's official website - Member of Parliament

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
Ministry of Water Resources


RAJYA SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO: *117
TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.11.2009
Depletion of Ground Water Level

*117.  Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar:
Will the Minister of Water Resources be pleased to state:

(a)    whether Government has taken note of the data provided by NASA satellite recorder, showing depletion of groundwater level in northern India by as much as a foot per year;

(b)    whether 70 percent of India’s irrigation needs and 80 percent of domestic water supplies are now fully dependent on groundwater resources;

(c)    whether Government would consider establishment of an agency like the Tennessee Valley Authority in US in the Brahmaputra basin to tap the abundant water resources in the Noth-East; and

(d)    if so, by when a decision is likely to be taken?

ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS WATER RESOURCES
(Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal)

(a)    to (d) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF THE STARRED QUESTION NO *117 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.11.2009 IN RAJYA SABHA REGARDING DEPLETION OF GROUND WATER LEVEL

In the article titled ‘Satellite –based estimates of groundwater depletion in India’s published in August, 2009 issue of scientific journal ‘Nature it has been indicated that groundwater is being depleted at a mean rate of 4.0 +/-  1.0 cm year-1  equivalent height of water (17.7 + 4.5 km3 yr-1) over the Indian states of Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana (including Delhi).

As per the information provided by the States, 45% of the irrigation potential created is through ground water resources and about 47% of the irrigation potential utilized is through ground water. About 85% of the rural drinking water requirement has been assessed to be met from ground water resources.

The Government has constituted the Brahmaputra Board under the Brahmaputra Board Act, 1980 (No. 46 of 1980) for the planning and implementation of measures for the control of flood and bank erosion and matters connected therewith in Brahmaputra Valley.

STATEMENT IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a) TO (c) OF RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 634 FOR 25.11.2009 REGARDING ARMED FORCES TRIBUNAL

The Supreme Court has held in 1982, that the absence of even one appeal with power to review evidence, legal     formulation, conclusion and adequacy or other wise of punishment in the laws relating to the armed forces was a distressing and glaring lacuna and urged the Government to take steps to provide for at least one judicial review in service matters.

The Amred Forces Tribunal has been set up for the adjudication or trial of disputes and complaints with respect to the service matters and also to provide for appeals arising out of verdicts of the Courts Martial in respect or personnel of the Armed Forces.

The Amred Forces Tribunal has a sanctioned strength of a Chairperson, fourteen Judicial Members and fifteen Administrative Members. At present, Chairperson, nine Judicial Members and fifteen Administrative Members are in position. Principal Bench of AFT is located at Delhi.  It has three courts. It has been decided to establish Regional Benches at Chandigarh, Lucknow, Jaipur, Mumbai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Chennai and Kochi while the Regional Benches at Lucknow and Chandigarh will have three courts each, all other Regional Benches will have one court each.

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