Jal Shakti Abhiyan activities to be expanded during monsoon

Under the National Jal Shakti Abhiyan, Centre has decided to utilize the upcoming monsoon season to expand its water conservation efforts.

Ministry of Home Affairs, as per the Centre, has allowed to take up MGNREGA works/drinking water and sanitation works at the time of lockdown with priority to be given to water conservation and irrigation works.

As per the press note released by The Ministry of Jal Shakti, the Government officials will not be posted in Abhiyan this summer, due to the ongoing health emergency in the country.

Key Highlights:

• Centre and State schemes in water conservation and irrigation sectors have been allowed to be implemented with suitable accordance with MGNREGA works.

• The Ministry of Jal Shakti ensured that the work will be carried out with the strict implementation of social distancing.

• The ministry also assured that there will be a use of face masks or covers and other necessary precautions will also be applied.

Work to be done under this initiative:

• Rejuvenation of the traditional water bodies

• Desilting of ponds and lakes

• Encroachments removal in the water bodies

• Catchment area treatment

• Construction and strengthening of inlets/outlets

• Under the initiative, rejuvenation of small rivers through community-driven River Basin Management Practices can also take place.

About Jal Shakti Abhiyan:

Jal Shakti Abhiyan is a mission-mode water conservation campaign, which was inspired by PM Narendra Modi’s encouragement on Jal Sanchay.

During the campaign, scientists from the Government of India, groundwater experts and officers will work together with state and district officials of India’s most water-stressed districts. The purpose will be of water conservation and water resource management. Jal Shakti Abhiyan focuses on making water conservation a Jan Andolan through communication and asset creation.