News: The Prime Minister has launched the Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain campaign on World Water Day.
About Catch the Rain Campaign:
- Catch the Rain is a Jan Andolan campaign.
- It aims to take water conservation at the grassroots level through people’s participation.
- The campaign intends to accelerate water conservation across the country.
Aim: To encourage all stakeholders to create rainwater harvesting structures(RWHS). As it is suitable for the climatic conditions and subsoil strata. These structures will ensure the proper storage of rainwater.
Tag line: Catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls.
Implementation: The campaign will be implemented by the National Water Mission(NWM), Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Coverage: The campaign will take place across the country, in both rural and urban areas. It will be implemented from March 22 to November 30 (the pre-monsoon and monsoon period) in the country.
Key activities under the Catch the Rain Campaign:
The Catch the Rain Campaign will include certain key activities like,
- Removal of encroachments and desilting of tanks. This will increase rainwater storage capacity.
- The campaign includes drives to make water harvesting pits, rooftop RWHS and check dams.
- Removal of obstructions in the channels bringing water from the catchment areas.
- Repairs to traditional Water Harvesting Systems(WHS) like step-wells. Further, using defunct bore-wells and old wells to put the water back to aquifers.
- States have been requested to open Rain Centers in each district. These Rain Centres will act as a technical guidance centre in RWHS.
| Note: Theme of world water day 22 March, 2021: “Valuing Water” |
