Atal Bhujal Yojana likely to be launched on Dec 25; 14 districts from Karnataka chosen

New Delhi, Dec 24: The Union Cabinet is likely to consider on Tuesday a proposal to launch the Atal Bhujal Yojna for sustainable management of groundwater resources with community participation, PTI sources said.

The groundwater preservation scheme, named after late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, envisages active participation of the communities in various activities such as the formation of water user associations, monitoring and disseminating groundwater data, water budgeting, preparation and implementation of Gram Panchayat-wise water security plans.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to launch the scheme on December 25, the birth anniversary of Vajpayee, the PTI sources said.

The scheme after Cabinet's clearance will soon be launched in water-stressed states: Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. It will cover 78 districts, 193 blocks and more than 8,300 gram panchayats across these states.

In Karnataka, 14 districts across the state will get a helping hand from the Centre under its ambitious scheme. Of the 14 districts, more than 10 are from south Karnataka, revealing the severity of the groundwater exploitation.

The identified over-exploited and water-stressed areas for the implementation of the scheme fall in Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

The states have been selected according to a number of criteria, including degree of groundwater exploitation and degradation, established legal and regulatory instruments, institutional readiness, and experience in implementing initiatives related to groundwater management.