The Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will launch the nationwide ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain-2024’ campaign on 9^th March, 2024 from New Delhi. The fifth edition of the campaign will be on the theme ‘Nari Shakti se Jal Shakti’ to recognise and appreciate the crucial role played by women in water management, conservation and sustainability. It will establish a powerful connection between the ‘Nari Shakti’ and the sustainable management of water resources i.e. Jal Shakti. The Union Minister will also launch two books namely, “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: 2019 to 2023” and “101 Water Champions of Jal Jeevan Mission”. The event will also include featuring of a movie “Jal Shakti Abhiyan 2019 to 2023 – A public led movement marching towards Water Security”; and short-talk/experience sharing by Women Water Warriors.

 

The ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain-2024’ (JSA:CTR) campaign will be implemented from 9^th March, 2024 to 30^th November, 2024 - the pre-monsoon and monsoon period in the country encompassing both urban and rural areas across all districts in the nation. Focused interventions of the campaign will include water conservation and rainwater harvesting; enumerating, geo-tagging & making inventory of all water bodies and preparation of scientific plans for water conservation; Setting up of Jal Shakti Kendras in all districts; intensive afforestation; and awareness generation among the masses.

Apart from the abovementioned interventions, JSA: CTR 2024 will have a distinctive emphasis on some key aspects this year including de-silting and cleaning of water bodies; Revitalizing Abandoned/Defunct Borewells for groundwater recharge; Geo-tagging of water bodies, coupled with meticulous mapping and regular updates in the State's revenue records; Intensified afforestation efforts in the catchment areas of water bodies; Snow harvesting in hilly areas like stupas in Ladakh for conserving water; and Rejuvenation of Small Rivers across the nation.

Following the vision and mission of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi to conserve each and every drop of water through ‘Jan Andolan’ and to ensure sustainable management of precious water resources, the National Water Mission under the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation launched the Jal Shakti Abhiyan in 2019, which was a national call to action that involved millions of people in water conservation and recharge, covering 1592 blocks out of 2836 blocks in 256 water stressed districts. Since the launch of "Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch The Rain" Campaign in 2021, it has been implemented every year, covering all the blocks of all districts (rural as well as urban areas) across the country. Since 2019, under JSA campaign, around 1.29 crore water related works have been undertaken across the country. Further, 661 Jal Shakti Kendras have been setup and 527 districts have prepared District Water Conservation Plans under the campaign.

Theme for the Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain – 2023 campaign was "Source Sustainability for Drinking Water". It was aimed at sustaining the piped water supply schemes, especially those dependent on groundwater and spring sources, that provide Functional Household Tap Connections to rural households under Jal Jeevan Mission. The Mission has achieved phenomenal success due to combined efforts by States, Government of India and other stakeholders and presently over 19.2 crore rural households have tap connections (75%). It is imperative to ensure the sustainability of these massive efforts. During the discussion on the theme ‘Drinking Water’ in the Chief Secretaries' Conference held in December 2023, the following commitments were made on behalf of all the Chief Secretaries to the Prime Minister:

• Convergence of resources and efforts in rural areas

1. Geo-tagging of all water supply sources (September 2024)
2. At least one recharge structure for each ground water source (March 2026)
3. Rejuvenation and sustenance of spring sources (March 2026)

• Convergence of resources and efforts in urban areas
  1. Identify-Water bodies as potential water sources (September 2024)
  2. Defunct borewell for ground water recharge (September 2024)

JSA:CTR - 2024 is a testament to the Government's unwavering commitment to water conservation and sustainable development with ‘Nari Shakti’ playing a leading role in these efforts. By integrating diverse strategies and focusing on key aspects, this initiative strives to make a substantial difference in the way we perceive, utilize, and protect precious water resources. These efforts will pave the way for a more resilient and water-secure future for our communities and the environment. The launch event shall see vibrant participation among others from Central Ministries Nodal Officers, State Nodal Officers and Women Water Champions, along with the media partners.

 

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Anubhav Singh

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