Union Jal Shakti Minister, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, today announced the commencement of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan – a campaign for water conservation and water security. The campaign will run through citizen participation during the monsoon season, from 1st July, 2019 to 15th September, 2019. An additional Phase 2 will be run from 1st October, 2019 to 30th November, 2019 for States receiving the North East retreating monsoons. The focus of the campaign will be on water stressed districts and blocks.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, in his Mann Ki Baat address yesterday had given a clarion call to citizens to join hands for water conservation and create a jan-andolan along the lines of the Swachh Bharat Mission, to save water and secure the future. The Prime Minister invited ideas, traditional knowledge, initiatives undertaken, success stories, and films made on water conservation from common citizens, celebrities and NGOs alike.
Addressing the media in New Delhi, the Jal Shakti Minister said that the government aims at providing drinking water to every household on priority and in a sustainable manner. The Minister said that the Jal Shakti Abhiyan should bring positive change in people for water conservation. Mentioning the impact of PM’s recent letter to more than 2.3 lakh Sarpanches, the Minister said that it will help people to work for rain water harvesting, maintenance and upkeep of ponds and village tanks and conservation of water. The Union Minister invited the media to actively participate in these efforts.