Rolling out its water conservation plan under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan on Monday, the Centre said it would focus its time-bound, mission-mode campaign on 1,592 “water-stressed” blocks in 257 districts.
Launching the “Sanchay Jal, Behtar Kal” campaign for rainwater harvesting and water conservation, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the plan would rely largely on mass awareness programmes.
Jal Shakti Ministry officials said it will also involve focused implementation and convergence of existing water conservation schemes under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Integrated Watershed Management Programme, and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana’s per-drop-more-crop (micro-irrigation) programme.
Pointing out that at the existing pace, India’s water availability is estimated to decline to 1,341 cubic meter per capita per year by 2025 (from 5,177 cubic meter per capita per year in 1951), Shekhawat said: “We are staring at a water crisis. But there are also examples of states such as Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat and others that have undertaken efforts to resolve it. Like the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan where the success had much to do with how it became a jan andolan, this too will be implemented through community-based programmes.”
Read more of this in a report published in The Indian Express.. (Link given below)
(Also read our earlier post titled 75% Activities Under MGNREGS To Address Water Security & Conservation Efforts http://bharatmahan.in/positive-news/75-activities-under-mgnregs-address-water-security )
