(You can now subscribe to our(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channelNEW DELHI: India is about to take its rainwater harvesting game to an all-new level.The government is readying plans to construct one million rainwater harvesting structures, including check dams, percolation tanks, and recharge wells, under a new initiative called Jal Sanchay, Jan Bhagidari (JSJB), ToI reported on October 13. This potentially game-changing plan aims to enhance groundwater replenishment across India before next year’s monsoon, the report (by Vishwa Mohan) said.The JSJB initiative will support the existing 'Catch the Rain - Where it Falls When it Falls' campaign, which started in 2019 in 256 water-stressed districts.“This is a community-led initiative which aims to enhance water recharge through rainwater harvesting, aquifer recharge, borewell recharge and recharge shafts with resource support from government and non-government resources like CSR funds, industrial houses, civic bodies and water sector enthusiasts who are collectively working towards ensuring a water secure future,” said an official from the Jal Shakti ministry.“The key objective of the JSJB initiative is to ensure that every drop of water is conserved through collective efforts, following a whole-of-society and whole-of-govt approach,” the official told the newspaper.The success in Gujarat, where JSJB was launched in Surat last month, prompted this decision. Each district will ensure all villages have at least five recharge structures to capture and store rainwater. Municipal corporations are requested to establish a minimum of 10,000 recharge structures within their areas.Gujarat has plans for constructing 80,000 rainwater harvesting structures in the state before the next monsoon. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar governments are expected to make similar commitments.

Source: Economic Times October 13, 2024 19:28 UTC