Atal Bhujal Yojana: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday flagged off the ‘Atal Bhujal Yojana’, a scheme aimed at improving groundwater management through community participation, on the occasion of 95th birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday gave its approval for the implementation of the Atal Bhujal Yojana, a central sector scheme with a total outlay of Rs 6,000 crore to be implemented over a period of five years (2020-2021 to 2024-2025).
The scheme has been launched with an aim to improve groundwater management through community participation in seven states.
What is Atal Bhujal Yojana:
The scheme, also known as ‘Atal Jal’, will promote panchayat-led groundwater management and behavioural change with a primary focus on demand-side management. The scheme is aimed at contributing towards the goal of doubling farmers’ incomes, promoting participatory groundwater management, improving water use efficiency on a mass scale, improving cropping pattern and promoting efficient and equitable use of groundwater resources and behavioural change at the community level.
Atal Bhujal Yojana has two major components:
One is institutional strengthening and capacity building for sustainable groundwater management in the states including improving monitoring networks, capacity building, strengthening of water user associations. The second component is incentivising the states for achievements in improved groundwater management practices namely data dissemination, preparation of water security plans, implementation of management interventions through the convergence of ongoing schemes, adopting demand-side management practices, etc.
Who will be benefited:
A central sector scheme to be implemented over a period of five years (2020-21 to 2024-25), it aims to improve groundwater management through community participation in identified priority areas in seven states – Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. An official statement said the implementation of the scheme is expected to benefit nearly 8,350-gram panchayats in 78 districts in these states. This scheme will promote panchayat-led groundwater management and behavioural change with a primary focus on demand-side management.
Fund for Atal Jal scheme:
The total outlay of Rs 6,000 crore, 50% shall be in the form of World Bank loan and will be repaid by the Central Government. The remaining 50% shall be through Central assistance from regular budgetary support. The entire World Bank’s loan component and Central assistance shall be passed on to the states as grants
