NEW DELHI: Nearly 1.6 crore artificial groundwater recharge structures have, so far, been constructed in the country ever since the ‘Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari’ campaigns for community-led rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge launched in Sept 2024, said the ministry of Jal Shakti while sharing details on its flagship water conservation initiative.Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Punjab emerged as the top three states by completing 79,429; 78,358 and 15,589 water conservation structures, respectively, under the third phase of the campaign as of Sept 4. The ministry has set a target of creating two crore new water conservation structures by May 31, 2027 under the campaign that has placed community partnership and ownership at the heart of water conservation.Data shows that municipal-wise, Rajkot and Bhavnagar in Gujarat emerged as the top two minicipalmunicipal corporations in terms of completing water conservation structures this year. Next eight corporations in the list of top 10 are from Telangana. It includes Warangal, Ramagundam, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Mahabubnagar, Mancherial, Nalgonda and Khammam.The Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) initiative brings together communities, Panchayats, institutions and other stakeholders on locally appropriate solutions, focusing on constructing low-cost groundwater recharge and water storage structures, and reviving defunct borewells.
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JSJB was among the Jal Shakti ministry’s two-day Departmental Summit’s four key thematic pillars, alongside water infrastructure projects, source sustainability of drinking water systems, and rural water supply under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0. The Summit, held on Sept 1-2, was the first in a series of Departmental Summits aimed at strengthening cooperative federalism and closer centre–state collaboration.Calling it a growing movement for water security, the ministry in a statement said that the govt’s approach is not merely about creating structures for water conservation. “It is also about fostering a culture of responsibility around water. JSJB places people’s participation at the centre of water management,” it said.
