India hosts 16 per cent of the world’s population with only four per cent of the world’s freshwater resources. In a country where women, especially in rural areas face the drudgery of walking miles to collect water, our streets are flooded in monsoons.
As a solution to this mismanagement, President of India Ram Nath Kovind, launched the ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain campaign 2022’ in New Delhi on March 29, 2022.
He said that district magistrates and village sarpanchs would have to play a crucial role in motivating the local populace for active participation in water conservation work. He also presented the third National Water Awards for exemplary work in the field of water management.
The President was happy to note that India has taken effective steps to ensure water security through efficient use of water resources, minimizing pollution and ensuring sanitation.
He said that in recent years, the policies of the Government have included rejuvenation of rivers, holistic management of river basins, expeditious completion of long pending irrigation projects to strengthen water security in a sustainable manner and rejuvenation of existing dams.
Catch the Rain campaign 2022; Most pressing need
As many as 256 of 700 districts in India have reported ‘critical’ or ‘over-exploited’ groundwater levels according to the most recent Central Ground Water Board data (from 2017). Some 70 per cent of our water sources are contaminated and our major rivers are dying because of pollution. Niti – Aayog said that 21 cities — including Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai — probably exhausted their groundwater resources in 2021.
As on 30 March 2022, there are 9,33,51,080 rural household tap connections. The total rural households stands at 19,31,99,823 which means that the tap water connections have only touched a penetration rate of 48.32 per cent.
Achievements of “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain 2021”
In the Abhiyan, the prequel to the new launched campaign, a total of 10,64,929 water conservation and rain water harvesting structures were constructed. The renovation of 1,79,242 traditional water bodies was done. A total of 5,13,269 reuse and recharge structures were also build under the campaign.
Intensive afforestation and many training programmes were also conducted as part of the Abhiyan.
Other efforts of government to solve water crisis
The government’s ambitious Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) has achieved a major milestone on March 21, with 6 crore rural households getting tap water connections.
According to an official statement of JJM in February, 100 districts have become ‘Har Ghar Jal’, i.e. every rural household in these districts is getting assured tap water supply.
Besides JJM, the government has introduced various initiatives under Atal Bhujal Yojna, Namami Gange Mission, PM Krishi Yojana and Per Drop, More Crop Campaign for drinking water management and water supply for agriculture to support farmers and rural citizens. But it should always be remembered that government cannot manage the water crisis alone, without a concerted effort from civil society.
