Water conservation activities will be implemented

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that Jal Jeevan Mission activities are in progress in the state so that every house gets water from taps, instead of hand pumps. The area under irrigation is to be increased from 43 lakh hectare to 65 lakh hectare. But all this requires water. We have to take all possible measures to save rain water. Chouhan was reviewing the activities to be taken up to save water in the state at his residence office on the occasion of World Water Day.

The Chief Minister will dedicate Har Ghar Me Nal, Har Nal Me Jal Yojana on March 30 in rural areas of Burhanpur district under Jal Jeevan Mission.

Chouhan will also attend the District Water Parliament organized in Burhanpur. Under Jal Jeevan Mission, ground water based sources have been created in villages to ensure water supply to every household through taps. Mukhyamantri Jal Shakti Abhiyan will be launched with the objective of ensuring water conservation and ground water recharge to make these sources sustainable.

Chouhan said that collecting rain water is top priority. The goal of constructing various water structures like stop dams, check dams, etc. under Jalabhishek campaign, was to conserve rain water as much as possible. The work of reviving the rivers was also started on a large scale. These activities had stopped during the Covid period, but now again work has to be done on a large scale in the field of saving water.

The Chief Minister said that along with making rainwater harvesting system to conserve rain water, a movement to build water structures for water conservation in urban and rural areas would be started. The Jan Abhiyan Parishad will connect voluntary organizations and the general public for the purpose of conducting these activities in the form of a campaign.

Chouhan said that water conservation activities would be conducted with public participation. A public awareness campaign will be conducted with the aim of developing the spirit of saving water to encourage public cooperation. People will also be educated on how to avoid unnecessary expenditure of water. In agriculture, sprinkler and drip irrigation will be encouraged instead of canal. People have to be made aware about these activities to save water. A campaign will be launched to revive the rivers by constructing water structures for water conservation. Stop dams and check dams will also be built in forest areas.

Chouhan said that tree plantation campaign would be conducted in a big way when the rainy season starts. Trees play an important role in conserving rain water. Trees absorb water. Rivers like Narmada ji survive only by the water absorbed by the trees. Chouhan directed that special care should be taken for the continuity and sustainability of water sources from which water will be supplied to villages and habitations under Jal-Jeevan Mission.

Director General of Madhya Pradesh Jan Abhiyan Parishad, BR Naidu, Additional Chief Secretary Public Health Engineering and Environment Malay Srivastava, Principal Secretary Panchayat and Rural Development Umakant Umrao, and other officers were present in the meeting.

During the meeting, information was provided on the implementation of Jal Abhishek Abhiyan to be conducted in the year 2022-23 and Jal Jeevan Mission being implemented with the goal of Har Ghar Me Nal, Har Nal Me Jal Yojana. It was informed that Jal Sansad (Water Parliament) will be organized at district level in the entire state on March 30 under Jal Abhishek Abhiyan.

Jal-Jan Jagran Abhiyan will be launched to save water and conserve rain water. This year, under the Jal Abhishek Abhiyan, Pushkar Dharohar Samriddhi Abhiyan is being run for the revival of old water structures.

Under the campaign, new works of rain water conservation and ground water improvement, ground water recharge, river rejuvenation work, water conservation and promotion works in forest areas, plantation, in private farms, activities like water harvesting and promotion of drip and sprinkler irrigation will be conducted with public participation under various government schemes,.