Context:

Recently, Indian prime minister launched the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari initiative to enhance rainwater harvesting and ensure long-term water sustainability.

About Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari

• The initiative aims to conserve water with a focus on community involvement and ownership.
• Launched in Gujarat by the Ministry of Jal Shakti in partnership with the State Government, building on the success of the previous Jal Sanchay initiative.
• It uses a "whole-of-society" and "whole-of-government" approach, meaning everyone from citizens to government bodies is involved.
• The program emphasizes mobilizing citizens, local bodies, industries, and other stakeholders to work together for water security.
• Around 24,800 rainwater harvesting structures will be built across Gujarat to improve rainwater harvesting and ensure long-term water sustainability.
• It aligns with the ongoing ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain’ campaign.

Jal Shakti Abhiyan

• launched in 2019, to enhance water conservation and resource management. 
• In 2021, the campaign was expanded to Jal Shakti Abhiyan with the theme “Catch the Rain - Where it Falls When it Falls.

It included five key actions: 

• rainwater harvesting and water conservation, 
• creating inventories of water bodies and scientific conservation plans, 
• setting up Jal Shakti Kendras, 
• intensive afforestation, and 
• raising awareness.

Community participation in Water Conservation  

• Andhra Pradesh (Neeru-Chettu): Collective participation and awareness to make the state 'drought-proof' through improved water conservation.
• Bihar (Jal Jeevan Hariyali): Encourage farmer participation in water conservation and adoption of new technologies with reduced irrigation needs.
• Gujarat (Sujalam Sufalam Jal Sanchay Abhiyan):  Deepening water bodies through a Public-Private Partnership model aims to enhance storage capacity and effectively manage water scarcity.
• Telangana (Mission Kakatiya): Spreading minor irrigation in the state with community participation for sustainable water security.
• Odisha (Pani Panchayat): Optimize water utilization and improve agricultural productivity.

Rainwater Harvesting

• Rainwater harvesting collects and stores rainwater for various uses, from irrigation and flushing toilets to purification for drinking. This method can reduce reliance on municipal water systems and address water scarcity issues.

Types of Rainwater Harvesting:

• Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting:  Collects rainwater directly from rooftops. The water is either stored in tanks or redirected to recharge groundwater.
• Surface Rainwater Harvesting: Captures rainwater runoff from urban surfaces to recharge aquifers.