NEW DELHI: Giving impetus to water conservation efforts, Centre has decided to construct one million rainwater harvesting structures, including check dams , percolation tanks and recharge wells, under a new initiative to enhance groundwater replenishment across the country before the onset of next year's monsoon.
The new initiative - Jal Sanchay , Jan Bhagidari ( JSJB ) - will strengthen the existing 'Catch the Rain - Where it Falls When it Falls' campaign, launched in 1,592 blocks in 256 water stressed districts of the country in 2019.
"It is a community-led initiative which aims to enhance water recharge through rainwater harvesting, aquifer recharge, borewell recharge and recharge shafts with resource support from govt and non-govt resources like CSR funds, industrial houses, civic bodies and water sector enthusiasts who are collectively working towards ensuring a water secure future ," said a Jal Shakti ministry official.
"The key objective of the JSJB initiative is to ensure that every drop of water is conserved through collective efforts, following a whole-of-society and whole-of-govt approach," he said.
The decision to construct one million such structures across India was taken after initial success of the initiative in Gujarat where JSJB was launched in Surat last month.
Under the initiative, each district is tasked with ensuring that all villages have at least five recharge structures to capture and store rainwater in a mission mode. Besides, every municipal corporation has been requested to establish a minimum of 10,000 recharge structures within its jurisdiction.
A special programme to showcase the potential of such initiative will be held in Surat on Sunday where Jal Shakti minister C R Paatil and Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel are expected to commit for constructing 80,000 rainwater harvesting structures across the state before the next year's monsoon. The govts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar are also expected to announce similar commitments.
The new initiative - Jal Sanchay , Jan Bhagidari ( JSJB ) - will strengthen the existing 'Catch the Rain - Where it Falls When it Falls' campaign, launched in 1,592 blocks in 256 water stressed districts of the country in 2019.
"It is a community-led initiative which aims to enhance water recharge through rainwater harvesting, aquifer recharge, borewell recharge and recharge shafts with resource support from govt and non-govt resources like CSR funds, industrial houses, civic bodies and water sector enthusiasts who are collectively working towards ensuring a water secure future ," said a Jal Shakti ministry official.
"The key objective of the JSJB initiative is to ensure that every drop of water is conserved through collective efforts, following a whole-of-society and whole-of-govt approach," he said.
The decision to construct one million such structures across India was taken after initial success of the initiative in Gujarat where JSJB was launched in Surat last month.
Under the initiative, each district is tasked with ensuring that all villages have at least five recharge structures to capture and store rainwater in a mission mode. Besides, every municipal corporation has been requested to establish a minimum of 10,000 recharge structures within its jurisdiction.
A special programme to showcase the potential of such initiative will be held in Surat on Sunday where Jal Shakti minister C R Paatil and Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel are expected to commit for constructing 80,000 rainwater harvesting structures across the state before the next year's monsoon. The govts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar are also expected to announce similar commitments.
