Union Minister Of Jal Shakti Chairs Workshop For Effective Implementation Of Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch The Rain 2023 Campaign

Union Minister Of Jal Shakti Chairs Workshop For Effective Implementation Of Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch The Rain 2023 Campaign

National Water Mission Holds Workshop For Central Nodal Officers & Technical Officers Visiting 150 Water-Stressed Districts Across The Nation

Shri Shekhawat Urges Officers To Actively Participate In JSA:CTR Campaign & Act As Catalysts And Facilitators To Encourage And Energize District Authorities For Successful Implementation Of Campaign

The National Water Mission (NWM), Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR), Ministry of Jal Shakti today organised a workshop- cum- orientation programme at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, Janpath, New Delhi for Central Nodal Officers (CNO) and Technical Officers (TO), who will be visiting the 150 water-stressed districts across the nation, for ensuring effective and action-oriented implementation of the “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” – 2023 (JSA: CTR). A Central Team consisting of CNO and TO will make two visits to the allotted districts pre-monsoon and post-monsoon and the workshop was held to highlight the roles and responsibilities and provide a mission and vision to the visiting officials. The 2023 campaign is being implemented from 4th March, 2023 to 30th November, 2023 in all the districts (rural as well as urban areas) of the country with the theme “Source Sustainability for Drinking Water”.

The workshop was chaired by Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Addressing the august gathering, Shri Shekhawat stated that “Inspired by the Prime Minister’s mantra of Jal Sanchay, the Ministry of Jal Shakti launched the Jal Shakti Abhiyan in 2019 to make “Jal Andolan” a “Jan Andolan”. Our Hon’ble Prime Minister wrote to Sarpanches of 2.6 lakh villages to organize Special Gram Sabhas on water conservation and the importance of water”. The Union Minister further mentioned that JSA: CTR- 2023 is 4th in the series of Jal Shakti Abhiyan launched since 2019. He asserted that a campaign can become successful only through community participation, especially at the grass root level and urged the CNOs and TOs to actively participate in the campaign and act as catalysts and facilitators to encourage and energize the district authorities for the successful implementation of the campaign.

Shri Bishweswar Tudu, Minister of State, Tribal Affairs, and Ministry of Jal Shakti also graced the occasion and highlighted the importance of water in day-to-day life. He stressed the need for water conservation. He stated that many rivers in our country have dried up. It’s important to get these rivers rejuvenated especially in water-stressed district areas.

The Secretary, Dept. of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ms. Vini Mahajan, highlighted the importance of Source Sustainability. She stated that over 66 percent of household is dependent on groundwater for drinking water. The Central Nodal Officers selected for 150 water-stressed districts play a critical role in ensuring the fulfilment of objectives of the theme for source sustainability for drinking water to ensure taps get water.

Secretary, DoWR, RD & GR, Shri Pankaj Kumar encouraged the Central Team to act as facilitators and links between the Central Government and the States. He requested to encourage shramdan and work toward community involvement. He further requested the Central Teams to inform the problems faced during the implementation of the campaign by the State authorities and also highlight the best practices taken up by the states. 

Advisor to Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri Sriram Vedire explained the GIS-based scientific water conservation plan and inventorization of water bodies for JSA: CTR-2023, one of the campaign’s focused interventions. He mentioned it is important to upload the data on the JSA app, use scientific approach GIS / RS technologies, identification of water bodies to be GIS mapped, geo-tagging of existing inventory of WHS, and preparation of GIS-based water conservation plans. He requested the Central Team to encourage the use of mobile apps designed for Jal Shakti Abhiyan and to request the district authorities to upload the data on the JSA portal.

A joint presentation was held by AS&MD, NWM and AS & MD, JJM highlighting CNOs’ and TOs’ crucial role in successfully implementing the JSA:CTR- 2023. AS & MD, NWM, Ms. Archana Varma mentioned that all the activities under JSA: CTR-2023 have to be undertaken apart from the central theme which is – community participation, Amrit Sarovar 75 in each district, spring shed for hilly districts and north-eastern states, protecting the catchment area, afforestation, awareness generation through NYKS, geotagging, and district scientific plans, setting up of Jal Shakti Kendra in each district, promotion of Azadi ka Amrit mahotsav, Jal Shapath, Intensive IEC Activities, and Mission LiFE , Jal Shakti se Nari Shakti – women central to the Abhiyan etc.

AS & MD, JJM, Shri Vikas Sheel mentioned that 150 districts identification of sources has been done by JJM based on the history of water tanker use, classification of blocks by CGWB as exploited, critical, stressed with the approach – footprint in all states. He further mentioned that SOPs have been circulated to all the States and UTs. He further added that JJM will facilitate the appointment of Jal Shakti Fellows at the district level. He further mentioned that the monitoring indicators for JJM would be a. Number of recharge structures constructed and strengthened; b. the number of springs rejuvenated/revived; c. percentage of sources and recharge structures geotagged d. percentage of sources with adequate arrangements of source protection.     

Joint Secretary, MoRD highlighted the importance of the role of CNOs and TOs in Mission Amrit Sarovar. He mentioned that under Mission Amrit Sarovar- 75 water bodies rejuvenated or developed in districts as part of AKAM in a minimum 1-acre area.  He requested the CNOs to monitor the checklist – like flag hoisting on 15th August and requested them to consider the technical aspect, like inlet-outlet, discharge and functional. He also requested the CNOs to specifically monitor the role of the Water Users Association.

Inspired by the Prime Minister’s mantra of Jal Sanchay, the Ministry of Jal Shakti launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan in 2019 as a Jan Andolan to initiate water conservation at the grass-root level through citizen participation to accelerate water conservation across the country. The Abhiyan seamlessly dovetailed various institutions at the central and district levels, with its focus on the programmatic implementation of five key intervention areas: water conservation and rainwater harvesting, renovation of traditional and other water bodies/tanks, reuse and recharge of bore well structures, watershed development, and intensive afforestation.

The “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain”-2023 campaign has been launched on 4th March 2023 by the Hon’ble President of India alongside Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman, a national event organized to celebrate women’s leadership in achieving Swachh and Sujal Gaon under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) and Jal Jeevan Mission, under the aegis of Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti. JSA: CTR 2023 is the 4th in the series of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan which started in 2019 in 256 water-stressed districts and later on in 2021 & 2022 expanded at the pan-India level. This year the focus is on 150 Water Stressed Districts that have been identified based on the intersection of the history of the transportation of drinking water through tankers and data on over-exploited groundwater sources available with CGWB.

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