Atal Bhujal Yojana: Government’s Initiative For Groundwater Management, Objectives, Scope, Funding and More Details

The Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal) aims to achieve long-term groundwater management by bringing together different ongoing programmes with the active participation of local people and stakeholders. This will guarantee that money granted by the State and Central governments for the Program is utilised wisely to maintain the long-term stability of groundwater supplies. The plan was created as a prototype with the primary goal of improving the organizational arrangements for collaborative groundwater resources.

After obtaining adequate permission from the World Bank in 2018, the Indian government launched the Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABY) in Dec 2019 to address and control an ever issue of water shortages. It was introduced as part of the government’s Jal Jeevan Mission.

Atal Bhujal Yojana’s Objectives

• Its goal is to use community involvement to manage aquifers in priority locations across the country.
• ‌Alluvial and solid rock groundwater are the two main types of groundwater resources found in India. These are covered by the plan.
• ‌Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat are among the priority areas serviced.
• ‌In terms of underground water, these states account for nearly a quarter of the total amount of the over, critical, and moderately blocks in India.
• ‌It also intends to enhance groundwater resources administration in the Member States by carrying about behaviour changes at the grassroots level via awareness initiatives and building capacity.

Atal Bhujal Yojana Scheme’s Funding

The Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal) is a Centrally Sponsored Programme with a budget of INR 6000 crore, of that which INR 3,000 crores will come from a World Bank loan and INR 3,000 worth rs from the Govt. Of India as a defined contribution plan (GoI).

The cash will be distributed as grants-in-aid to the provinces under the plan.

The World Bank will finance the project through a deposit and loan instrument known as Programme for Results (PforR), in which monies will be distributed from the World Bank towards the Government of India depending on the attainment of which was before the results.

Atal Bhujal Yojana’s Purpose

The plan aims to solve four key concerns related to long-term groundwater resources, namely,

• Institutional foundations for long-term groundwater resources in each state.‌
• Groundwater recharging is improved.‌
• Increasing the efficiency with which water is used.
• ‌Watershed management will be aided by the development of neighbourhood institutions.