The Launch of Catch the Rain Campaign

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on Monday, March 22, 2021, took to address World Water Day through video conferencing discussing numerous projects undertaken by the government in the last few years to meet the scarcity of water in different regions of the nation and how we can effectively conserve the rainwater and the groundwater level can be maintained.

The Prime Minister on Monday launched the “Jal Shakti Abhiyan” – “Catch the Rain” campaign on World Water day via video conferencing. The meeting had some real effective points and agreements to discuss and sign. One of the main agreements was signed by the respective CMs of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Historic MoA for the Ken Betwa link project was signed.

The projects took at hand by the government of India to ensure the quality and sustainability of water resources are:

•  More than 2300 water quality testing laboratories have been opened to the general public so that they can get their water samples tested at a nominal cost.
• Accreditation and up-gradation of water quality testing laboratories have also been taken up.
• Atal Bhujal Mission launched to facilitate sustainable groundwater management in 7 water-stressed states of India.
• This will provide source sustainability to Jal Jeevan Mission and inculcate behavioral changes in the community to facilitate optimal water use.

PM Narendra Modi quoted India’s development and self-reliance are dependent on water security and water connectivity. He further added that water testing is being taken up with utmost seriousness.

MoA signed between Union minister Jal Shakti and CM of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to implement Ken Betwa link project- the first project of National perspective plan for interlinking of rivers.

PM interacted with Sarpanches and ward Panches in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. A major step was taken for the Ken Betwa link canal along with the introduction of the Catch the Rain campaign.

The agreement is important to realize Atalji’s dream in the interest of millions of families of UP and MP. The vision of India’s development and India’s self-reliance is dependent on our water sources and our water connectivity said, PM Modi.

He further added that the challenge of the water crisis is increasing equally with India’s development. It is the responsibility of the present generation to fulfill its responsibility for the generations to come.

In the past few years, we can see that the Government has made water governance a priority in its policies and decisions. In the last 6 years, many steps have been taken in this direction.

The projects undertaken over the past few years were quoted by PM Modi as Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, water campaign to every farm, ‘Per drop more crop’ campaign, Namami Gange mission, Jal Jeevan mission, or Atal Bhujal Yojana- work is being undertaken rapidly on all these schemes.

Talking about the ‘Catch the Rain’ campaign he said that the better India manages the rainwater, the lesser country’s dependence on groundwater. And this can be achieved when all the sections of the society will step forward and take part in such campaigns to make it a success.

The Jal Shakti Abhiyan includes both the urban as well rural areas.

Emphasizing the importance of sarpanches and DMs/DCs, the PM said that the ‘Jal Shapath’ (oath for water) which is being organized all over the country should become everybody’s pledge and second nature. He quoted as “When nature changes concerning water, nature will also support us.”

Apart from rainwater harvesting, management of river water has also been discussed for decades, and that even becomes necessary at the moment to deal with the emerging water crisis in the present day.

If we see the statistics, we can see that just 1.5 years ago, just 3.5 crores out of 19 crore rural families in our country got piped drinking water and after the launch of the Jal Jeevan mission about 4 crore new families have piped drinking water connections in such a short time.

Public participation and the local governance model are at the core of the Jal Jeevan mission.

The PM pointed out that rural sisters and daughters have been made the stakeholders in the campaign of water testing. He further added that during the corona period itself about 4.5 lakh women were trained for water testing. On average every village has got at least 5 trained women.

PM Narendra Modi concluded by saying that better results are a certainty with increased participation of women in water governance.