Parliament Question: Projects under Jal Shakti Abhiyan

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3099 ANSWERED ON 06.08.2026 PROJECTS UNDER JAL SHAKTI ABHIYAN

3099. Shri MANICKAM TAGORE B:

Shri SURESH KUMAR SHETKAR:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) the details of the projects implemented under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain campaign and the progress achieved during the last three years in the country, district-wise;

(b) whether the Government proposes to provide any financial incentives to households, industries and institutions for installing rainwater harvesting systems and if so, the details thereof;

(c) the steps taken to promote rooftop rainwater harvesting in urban and rural areas through awareness campaigns, technical assistance and financial support;

(d) whether the Government has developed any digital platform or monitoring mechanism to track rainwater harvesting structures, groundwater recharge and conservation outcomes across the country and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the details of new schemes proposed to strengthen rainwater harvesting, watershed management and sustainable water conservation in view of increasing climate change and recurring water scarcity across the country? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY) 1(a) to (e) ‘Water’ being a State subject, the aspects related to water resources including its conservation are studied, planned, funded and executed by the State Governments themselves as per their own resources and priorities.

The Central Government supplements the measures and efforts being taken up by the State Governments.

In 2019, the Ministry of Jal Shakti launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) as a time-bound, mission-mode water conservation campaign in 256 water stressed districts of the country. The Hon'ble PM of India launched the campaign in 2021

as Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR) with the message, "Catch the

Rain: Where It Falls, When It Falls." Since then, JSA: CTR evolved into a national movement, reinforcing India's collective commitment to water security through localised action and institutional convergence. The JSA: CTR campaign was implemented nationwide and each edition had included a targeted focus since 2023 to maximize impact. The JSA: CTR 2023, with the theme “Source Sustainability for Drinking Water”, prioritized 150 special focus districts identified by the Jal Jeevan Mission. The JSA: CTR 2024 campaign, themed “Nari Shakti se Jal Shakti”, was carried out across the country with a special focus on 151 districts identified by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB).

The JSA: CTR 2025 was launched with the theme “Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari:

Jan Jagrukta Ki Or” emphasizing deeper grassroots engagement, inter-sectoral convergence and innovative financing mechanisms with special focus on 148 districts identified by CGWB. The details of the JSA: CTR for the last three years in the country, district-wise is available at

https://mowr.nic.in/core/WebsiteUpload/2026/nwm.pdf.

To further strengthen the momentum of Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain, the “Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB)” initiative with intensified community partnership, was launched in Surat, Gujarat on September 2024. In June 2025, JSJB 2.0 was launched. The implementation cycle for JSJB 2.0 commenced on 1 June 2025 and concluded on 31 May 2026.

2Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari: Catch the Rain (JSJB: CTR) – 2026 was launched on 1st June 2026 enhancing the scope of the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) initiative and simultaneously integrating it with the Jal Shakti

Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR) campaign. The initiative focuses on intensifying community action and mobilization to build low-cost rainwater harvesting structures in low cost and saturation mode.

The objective is to ensure that every drop of water is conserved through collective efforts, following a whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach. By fostering community ownership, the initiative seeks to develop cost-effective, local solutions at the micro level for water conservation and ground water recharge. The initiative is guided by the 3Cs principle— Community, CSR and Cost, ensuring effective convergence and maximized outcomes. The Government promotes the initiative in partnership with State Governments and local authorities to ensure its widespread reach and awareness. The initiative aims at forging partnership with stakeholders such as NGOs, Trusts, Civil Societies and educational institutions to engage the broader community effectively. The progress of the campaign is monitored through online portal - JSJB: CTR (https://jsjb.mowr.gov.in).

The initiative leverages community funds, individual donations, Corporate Social Responsibility Funds and others for construction of low-cost structures like borewells, recharge shafts, recharge pits, using locally available material, to harvest rainwater, to boost ground water level and provide local tailor-made solution to water issues. The initiative also emphasizes convergent financing from various schemes of the Central, State and local bodies like Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Per Drop More Crop, Repair, Renovation and Restoration Components under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) and Finance Commission grants.

3To address the challenges faced by States and local bodies in implementing rainwater harvesting systems and to ensure effective implementation of the campaign, the Government of India has adopted a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach. As part of this strategy, State Nodal Officers (SNOs) and District Nodal Officers (DNOs) have been appointed at the State and District levels, respectively, to monitor progress and to provide technical assistance. Besides, meetings are conducted with SNOs, Municipal Commissioners, District Magistrates (DMs)/ Deputy Commissioners (DCs), Partner Central Ministries/Departments, and other stakeholders concerned to provide necessary support and gather feedback.

Further, Village-level feasibility maps have been shared with districts to support technical planning and facilitate the effective implementation of water conservation and groundwater recharge interventions. In addition, districts across the country have prepared District Water Conservation Plans to ensure sustainable water management in their respective districts.

Jal Shakti Kendras (JSKs) have been established across the country, serving as dedicated resource and knowledge centers to provide technical guidance to locals and support district administration in implementation of rain water harvesting systems.

Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) play a central role in mobilising communities, facilitating local-level planning and ensuring participatory implementation and monitoring of water conservation works. Women Self Help Groups (SHGs), youth, students and local community groups are actively involved in awareness generation, behaviour change communication and social mobilisation, thereby strengthening grassroots participation and ownership.

Capacity building and sensitisation of local stakeholders form an integral part of the campaign. Review and coordination meetings are held with officers from CGWB & CWC and District Magistrates, supported by guidelines and checklists, to strengthen the water conservation works, implementation and monitoring. IEC activities, community meetings and field interactions are 4undertaken to enhance awareness, technical understanding and participatory implementation at the grassroots level.

National Water Mission (NWM) developed an incentive plan under the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) campaign to recognize and promote district-level performance in water conservation. As per the incentive plan, the funds are earmarked exclusively for water conservation structures, awareness activities, and capacity building of stakeholders. In addition, the plan incorporates a recognition mechanism for other key stakeholders, including States/Union Territories (UTs), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Industry Associations/Industry Leaders/Private Philanthropists, partner Ministries/Departments, and nodal officers.

Further, as reported by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

(MoHUA), under AMRUT 2.0 Reforms, Municipal Corporation and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across the country are incentivized for creating artificial recharge and storage structures under the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) initiative. The incentive amount can be utilized by Municipal Corporation/ULBs for water conservation structures and water conservation awareness activities, including capacity building of stakeholders.

Ministry of Jal Shakti instituted the National Water Awards to recognize and encourage exemplary work in the field of water resources management.

The Awards recognise the efforts of States, organizations, individuals and other entities in various categories to promote water conservation and water resources management.

Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) conducts various programmes to create awareness on the importance of rainwater harvesting and water conservation including Public Interaction Programmes (PIP), Mass Awareness Programmes (MAP), programmes on local groundwater issues, Source Sustainability training programmes on participatory groundwater management, and Information, Education & Communication (IEC) activities such as trainings, 5seminars, workshops, exhibitions and trade fairs to promote rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge to groundwater.

Further, CGWB carries out groundwater monitoring across the country and has adopted advanced digital technologies for efficient groundwater monitoring. Groundwater levels are monitored through a network of observation wells using water level sounders, which are upgraded with Digital Water Level Recorders (DWLRs) with telemetry under the Real-Time Groundwater Monitoring initiative. The deployment of digital telemetry, GIS tools and real- time monitoring systems enable faster, high-frequency and more accurate groundwater data collection. The real-time groundwater level data are made available through CGWB's online data portal.

Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development implements Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY) for the development of rainfed and degraded lands in the country with the objectives of conserving soil and water resources, enhancing groundwater recharge. improving vegetative cover and strengthening the livelihoods of rural communities. The interventions include ridge-to-valley treatment, soil and moisture conservation measures, water harvesting structures, afforestation and livelihood activities, which contribute to improving water availability and enhancing climate resilience in rainfed areas.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has compiled and disseminated best practices in water conservation from various stakeholders, including individuals, NGOs, and public sector undertakings (PSUs). ***** 6