NEW DELHI: In recognition of their integral role in water conservation and management work, the Jal Shakti ministry, in collaboration with state governments, has trained 24 lakh women to test piped water samples.
“Women are playing a leading role in water conservation efforts. Without their support, our flagship programmes and campaigns, such as Jal Shakti Abhiyan, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Jal Jeevan Mission and Atal Bhujal Yojna, would not have succeeded,” Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, said on Sunday.
He was launching the fifth edition of the ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain’ campaign. Themed ‘Nari Shakti se Jal Shakti’, the campaign underscores the crucial role of women in the initiative.
Besides, the Atal Bhujal Yojna ensures representation of at least 33 per cent of women members in gram panchayats for preparation of water budget and water security plans.
National Water Mission’s campaign ‘Catch The Rain’ with the tagline, ‘Catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls’ is to nudge the states and stakeholders to create appropriate Rain Water Harvesting Structures (RWHS) suitable to the climatic conditions and sub-soil strata before monsoon.
The campaign undertakes drives to make check dams, water harvesting pits and rooftop RWHS; remove encroachments and desilts tanks to increase their storage capacity; removes obstructions in the channels that bring water from the catchment areas, with the active participation of people.
To facilitate these activities, states have been requested to set up ‘rain centers’ in each district — in collectorates, municipalities or gram panchayats.
‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain’ campaign started in 2021 as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Jal Sanchay. The Ministry launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan in 2019 as a ‘Jan Andolan’ to initiate water conservation at the grassroots level through citizens’ participation to accelerate water conservation nationwide.
The campaign also takes initiatives to enumerate the water bodies in the districts (checked with revenue records) besides removing encroachments.