Jal Shakti Abhiyan -I (JSA-I) was launched in 2019 in 1592 blocks in 256 water stressed districts of the country to promote water conservation and water resource management by focusing on accelerated implementation of five targeted interventions viz. water conservation and rainwater harvesting, renovation of traditional and other water bodies, reuse of water and recharging of structures, watershed development and intensive afforestation. Besides, the special interventions included development of Block Water Conservation Plans and District Water Conservation Plans, Krishi Vigyan Kendra Melas, Urban Wastewater Reuse and 3D contour mapping of all villages.

Later on the scope of JSA 2019 was expanded and “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” (JSA:CTR) with the theme “Catch the Rain - Where it Falls When it Falls” was taken up to cover all the blocks of all districts (rural as well as urban areas) across the country during 22nd March 2021 to 30th November 2021 - the pre-monsoon and monsoon period. JSA:CTR 2021 campaign had five focused interventions- (1) rainwater harvesting & water conservation (2) enumerating, geo-tagging & making inventory of all water bodies; preparation of scientific plans for water conservation (3) Setting up Jal Shakti Kendras in all districts (4) intensive afforestation and (5) awareness generation.

"Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” (JSA:CTR) -2022, the third in the series of JSAs, has been launched on 29.3.2022  to cover all the blocks of all districts (rural as well as urban areas) across the country during 29th March 2022 to 30th November 2022 - the pre-monsoon and monsoon period.  The targeted interventions of the campaign in the current year are (1) water conservation and rainwater harvesting (2) enumerating, geo-tagging & making inventory of all water bodies; preparation of scientific plans for water conservation based on it (3) Setting up of Jal Shakti Kendras in all districts (4) intensive afforestation and (5) awareness generation. In this campaign, additional activities/ sub-interventions have been incorporated under the intervention 'water conservation & rainwater harvesting' which include spring shed management, protection of water catchment areas and creation/ renovation of 'amrit sarovars'. 

The steps taken by the Government for conservation and minimizing wastage of water include implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Unified Building Bye Laws (UBBL) of Delhi, 2016, Model Building Bye Laws (MBBL), 2016 and Urban and Regional Development Plan Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines, 2014, Ministry of Panchayati Raj’s (MoPR) advisories to the State/UT Panchayati Raj Departments, Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL), Central Ground Water Authority’s (CGWA) guidelines for control and regulation of groundwater extraction with pan-India applicability notified on 24 September 2020, Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) directives under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 etc.  National Water Policy (2012) also advocates conservation, promotion and protection of water. 

This information was given by the Minister of State, Shri Bishweswar Tudu in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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