Explained - Atal Bhujal Yojana

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hailed off the 'Atal Bhujal Yojana', a plan planned for improving groundwater through community participation in seven states - Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, on the event of 95th birth commemoration of the previous PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The Union Cabinet on Tuesday gave its consent for the usage of the Atal Bhujal Yojana, a central sector scheme with an absolute cost of Rs 6,000 crore to be executed over a time of five years (2020-2021 to 2024-2025). Groundwater contributes nearly 65 percent of the total irrigated area in the country.

What is Atal Bhujal Yojana?

The plan, otherwise called "Atal Jal" will encourage panchayat led groundwater management and behavioral change with a major focus on demand-side management. The plan is planned for contributing towards the aim of

• Multiplying farmers earnings
• Encouraging the involvement of community for groundwater management
• Enhance water use efficiency on a huge scale.
• Improve cropping pattern 
• Encouraging efficient and equitable use of groundwater resources 
• Behavioral change at the community level.
  

Atal Bhujal Yojana - Two Major Components are:-

1. Institutional reinforcing and capacity building for sustainable groundwater management in the states involve improving monitoring networks, capacity building, intensifying water user associations.
2. Incentivizing the states for accomplishment 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.
   

Who will be benefited by Atal Bhujal Yojana?

• A central sector plan to be actualized over a time of five years (2020-21 to 2024-25), it intends to improve groundwater management community participation in recognized need territories in seven states.
• The execution of the Atal Bhujal Yojana is relied upon to profit almost 8,350-gram panchayats in 78 districts in these states. 
• This Atal Bhujal Scheme will advance panchayat led groundwater management and conduct behavioral change with an essential focus on demand-side management.

Funds for Atal Bhujal Yojana:- 

The total outlay of Rs 6,000 crore, 50% shall be in the form of a World Bank loan and will be repaid by the Central Government. The remaining 50% shall be through Central assistance from regular budgetary support.