A video conference was held to review the progress of various districts of Gujarat under Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari, co-chaired by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendrabhai Patel and the Hon’ble Union Minister of Jal Shakti C. R. Patil, with all District Collectors of the State of Gujarat.

The review meeting was convened in the context of Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari, which was launched on 6th September 2024 from Surat, Gujarat, in the virtual presence of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, with the objective of transforming Jal Sanchay into a Jan Andolan through Jan Bhagidari, in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of “catch the rain where it falls, when it falls.”

Senior officials present in the meeting included V. L. Kantha Rao, Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation; Manoj Kumar Das, Chief Secretary, Government of Gujarat; and other senior officials from the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Government of Gujarat.

Addressing the meeting, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat reiterated that the Government of Gujarat is fully committed to the successful implementation of Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari and is already actively engaged in its execution across the State. He highlighted that the State Government has introduced supportive measures, including a scheme under which 90% financial assistance is provided for recharge of old borewells. He further cited examples from Banaskantha district, where through true Jan Bhagidari, innovative recharge structures have been created. The Hon’ble Chief Minister also informed that MLAs have been advised to allocate ₹50 lakh per constituency from their MLA Local Area Development funds for water conservation activities, further strengthening public participation.

During the meeting, presentations were made by District Collectors of Banaskantha, Kutch and Rajkot, showcasing the on-ground progress and initiatives undertaken in their respective districts under Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari.

In his address to the District Collectors, the Hon’ble Union Minister of Jal Shakti emphasised the need to accelerate water conservation efforts across all districts of Gujarat before the onset of the monsoon. He motivated District Collectors to actively utilise MGNREGA funds, ensure convergence of various government schemes, and leverage CSR initiatives, NGO participation and Forest Department activities to create rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge structures at scale. He also underlined that the Ministry of Jal Shakti is providing technical assistance to districts to enable efficient planning and execution of water conservation works.

The Hon’ble Minister stressed that Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari must be implemented through a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, so as to realise the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of converting Jal Sanchay into a Jan Andolan through Jan Bhagidari.

District Collectors were sensitised to ensure sustained momentum and coordinated action at the district level so that Gujarat continues to remain at the forefront of water conservation efforts.

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