Extracted Data Points

  • India receives average annual precipitation of about 3,880 Billion Cubic Metres (BCM)
  • Average annual water available in India is estimated at 1,999.20 BCM after accounting for natural losses
  • India has 17.5% of global population and 11.6% of world's livestock
  • Agriculture accounts for 80-90% of water use in rural areas
  • Irrigation water demand in India could reach 807 BCM by 2050 under high-demand scenario
  • Livestock census 2019 showed 4.6% increase from 51.2 crore in 2012 to about 53.6 crore in 2019
  • Cow population increased by 18% from previous census in 2012

Atal Bhujal Yojana Program Data

  • Launched in 2019, implemented across 229 blocks in seven groundwater-stressed states
  • 180 out of 229 blocks showed measurable improvement in groundwater levels during 2023-24 and 2024-25
  • Approximately 81,700 water conservation and recharge structures created or restored as of March 2026
  • 8,203 water budgets completed across participating Gram Panchayats
  • State-wise water budgeting completion: Gujarat (1,873), Haryana (1,647), Karnataka (1,199), Madhya Pradesh (670), Maharashtra (1,133), Rajasthan (1,132), Uttar Pradesh (549)
  • Over 1.25 lakh training programmes conducted across multiple levels
  • Demand-side interventions promoted across nearly 9 lakh hectares

Rajasthan Water Program Results

  • Groundwater levels increased by around 4%
  • Water access enhanced for 4.1 million people and 4.5 million livestock
  • Improved soil fertility and reduced erosion, resulting in higher crop yields

Maharashtra Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan Results

  • Over 11,000 villages declared drought-free
  • Groundwater levels increased by approximately 1.5-2 metres
  • Agricultural productivity improved by estimated 30-50 percent
  • Water storage capacity enhanced

Uttarakhand Women's Participation Data

  • In Udham Singh Nagar district, about 1,645 women trained under Jal Jeevan Mission
  • 300 women-led Village Water and Sanitation Committees operational
  • 105 awareness campaigns conducted by women SHGs

Technology Implementation

  • Varuni web application (https://wasca.in/index) developed under Indo-German bilateral project "Water Security and Climate Adaptation in Rural India (WASCA)"
  • Project implemented in collaboration with Ministry of Jal Shakti and Ministry of Rural Development
  • Technical support provided by NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India)

This press release is Relevant as it contains substantial quantitative data about water resources, government programs, and measurable outcomes related to water management in rural India.