Jal Shakti Abhiyan - Water conservation

The Jal Shakti Abhiyan one of the flagship scheme of the present government; has been initiated to control this problem. Conservation of water is the need of the hour.

Key-notes of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan

Indian agriculture is based on groundwater, which is in process of boosting its yield to cater to the need of 170 million people. Overexploitation of this natural resource has declined the groundwater level. This is an alarming situation not only for the present generation but would be more critical for the ones to come. Still the small-scale farmers have to depend over this natural resource are the availability water resources are shrinking too fast.

Water demand in India

India receives 4,000 billion cubic meters (bcm) of rainfall in one year, of which 48% ends up in the rivers. It is due to lack of storage and crumbling infrastructure thus only 18% of the same is utilised. From rainfall, only 432 bcm of the groundwater is replenished of which only 395 bcm is utilised. The average groundwater recharge rate is India is 260m3/day.

Surface and groundwater situation in India

30% of Indians living in the cities will double by 2050. The Annual per capita water availability was 1,545 cubic meters in 2011 which is expected to decline to 1,140 cubic meters by 2050. The then situation would be very alarming with double of the population and scarcity of water.

The Jal Shakti Abhiyan, was launched by the Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat from 1st July, 2019. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) will drive the Jal Shakti Abhiyan in the rural India and Rs 15,000 crore will be invested during the first phase of the crusade. By 2020 India would be requiring huge amount of water. To bridge the gap which is enormous conservation of water is very essential.

§  The Jal Shakti Abhiyan is a campaign for water conservation and water security in the country.

§  The campaign will run through citizen participation in two phases, firstly, during the monsoon season, from 1st July, 2019 to 15th September, 2019 and then from 1st October, 2019 to 30th November, 2019 for states receiving the North East retreating monsoons.

§  It is a collaborative effort of various ministries of the Government of India and state governments, being coordinated by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) that comes under the Jal Shakti Ministry.

§  The focus of the campaign is on water-stressed districts and blocks. The teams of officers from the central government will visit and work with district administration in 1592 water stressed blocks in 256 districts, to ensure five important water conservation interventions.

§  The five important water conservation interventions are :

o    Water conservation and rainwater harvesting,

o    Renovation of traditional and other water bodies/tanks,

o    Reuse of water and recharging of structures,

o    Watershed development and

o    Intensive afforestation.

§  The water conservation interventions will also be supplemented with special interventions including the development of block and district water conservation plans, promotion of efficient water use for irrigation and better choice of crops through Krishi Vigyan Kendras.