New Delhi: From the crescent-shaped contouring of hill slopes in Mirzapur to water audits in Thiruvananthapuram, innovative water conservation measures from over 150 districts were presented to the Jal Shakti ministry on Monday.
Districts like Nashik and East Khasi Hills are also using community-driven and locally adapted solutions for water conservation.
Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil, chairing a review meeting with district magistrates (DMs) from 151 districts, praised these efforts as critical to sustainable water management.
Paatil emphasised the campaign’s potential, stating, “The upcoming monsoon season is a great opportunity for water conservation.”
He urged officials to intensify efforts through public participation and collective resolve.
India is expected to get above-normal rainfall in the upcoming southwest monsoon season.
Officials shared various innovative approaches adopted by them for their districts.
Mirzapur is using a contouring technique that has enhanced water harvesting while expanding green cover, an official said.
Nashik’s Jalyukt Shivar Yojana, described by Patil as “a successful model based on community participation”, was also presented in the meeting.
The programme aims to make 5,000 villages free of water scarcity every year.
The key aim of Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan is to establish the belief in a farmer that “every drop of rainwater is owned by me and it should percolate in my land”.
In Thiruvananthapuram, every gram panchayat conducts water audits and budgets, which Patil called “an exemplary example of sustainable and scientific water management”. East Khasi Hills has made creative, practical models tailored to local conditions, Paatil said.
Paatil directed officials to build on these innovations, leveraging the monsoon season to deepen community involvement and ensure long-term water security across India through the ‘Catch the Rain’ campaign.
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