PM Modi to launch Atal Bhujal Yojana today

Prime
Minister Narendra Modi will launch Atal Bhujal Yojana in New Delhi today. The
Central Government scheme will promote Panchayat led ground water management
and behavioural changes with primary focus on demand side management.

Union
Cabinet approved the 6,000 crore rupees scheme at a meeting yesterday.  Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash
Javadekar said, the scheme will be implemented over a period of 5 years in
identified areas in Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. He said, the scheme will boost the income of
farmers.

Sources
reports that ground water contributes to nearly 65 per cent of total irrigated
area of the country and nearly 85 per cent of the rural drinking water supply.

The limited
ground water resources in the country are under threat due to the increasing
demands of growing population, urbanization and industrialization.

Atal Bhujal
Yojana has two major components:

• One is strengthening institutional
  arrangements for sustainable ground water management in the States including
  improving monitoring networks, capacity building and strengthening of Water
  User Associations.
• Second is encouraging the States for
  achievements in improved groundwater management practices.

The scheme will result in efficient use of available ground water
resources with emphasis on demand side measures like micro-irrigation, crop
diversification and electricity feeder separation.

 It will also contribute towards the
goal of doubling the farmer’s income.