Indias National Action Plan On Climate Change

National Water Mission is one of the missions established by Government of India to address the impact of climate change on water resources under The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). The National Water Mission aims at conservation of water, minimizing wastage and ensuring its more equitable distribution. It does include plans to meet part of the water needs of urban areas through recycling of wastewater and to meet the water requirements of coastal cities with inadequate alternative sources of water by adopting appropriate technologies that allow for the use of ocean water. However, the mission does not include linking all the rivers of Himalayan origin to the rivers of peninsular India. Also, the mission does not include any provision for the reimbursement of expenses incurred by farmers for digging bore-wells and for installing motors and pump sets to draw groundwater. The mission's focus is more on promoting efficient use of water and conservation, rather than on subsidising water extraction. Therefore, only statements 1 and 2 are correct in the context of the National Water Mission.

**Statement 1 is correct:** Prevention of soil runoff IWDP promotes practices that reduce soil erosion, protecting valuable topsoil and improving land fertility. **Statement 2 is incorrect:** Linking perennial and seasonal rivers While water resource management is a part of IWDP, it doesn't focus on physically linking separate river systems. The National River Linking Project is a separate project to interlink rivers. **Statement 3 is correct:** Rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge IWDP encourages rainwater conservation techniques, allowing more water to infiltrate the ground and replenish aquifers. **Statement 4 is correct:** Regeneration of natural vegetation IWDP often involves planting trees and promoting sustainable land management practices, leading to increased vegetation cover.

The National Mission for Green India (GIM) is one of the eight Missions outlined under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). **Mission Goals:** - To increase forest/tree cover to the extent of 5 million hectares (mha) and improve quality of forest/tree cover on another 5 mha of forest/non-forest lands; - To improve/enhance ecosystem services like carbon sequestration and storage (in forests and other ecosystems), hydrological services and biodiversity; along with provisioning services like fuel, fodder, and timber and non-timber forest produces (NTFPs); and - To increase forest-based livelihood income of about 3 million households.

* **Statement 1 is correct**. According to the United Nations World Water Development Report 2022, with an estimated 251 km3 annual withdrawal from an estimated 20 million wells and tube wells, India is the world's greatest groundwater user. This accounts for more than a quarter of the total groundwater extracted internationally. * **Statement 2 is incorrect.** India uses about 89% of this groundwater for irrigation. Major share of total groundwater extracted by India is utilised for irrigation purposes and not for drinking and sanitation purposes.