What are the salient features of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan launched by the Government of India for water conservation and water security?
Subtopic: Sustainable Development · Water conservation campaigns
How to structure your answer
Introduction: Name the campaign — a time-bound, mission-mode water conservation drive by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, first run in 2019.
Body: (1) targeted water-stressed blocks and districts; (2) five focused interventions; (3) convergence, Jan Andolan and theme-based annual editions.
Conclusion: a campaign that turns water conservation into a people's movement.
Written within the word limit
149 words · target 150 words · 9 min
Introduction: Jal Shakti Abhiyan is a time-bound, mission-mode water conservation campaign run by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, first launched in 2019 to accelerate rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge.
Salient features:
- Targeted geography: the first edition focused on around 1,592 water-stressed blocks across 256 districts, where extraction had outpaced recharge.
- Five focused interventions: rainwater harvesting and water conservation, renovation of traditional water bodies, reuse and recharge structures, watershed development, and intensive afforestation.
- Convergence and field teams: central officers and technical staff worked alongside district and panchayat machinery to prepare and execute water conservation plans on the ground.
- Twin monsoon windows: the drive ran across both the southwest and northeast monsoon periods to maximise capture.
- Jan Andolan: citizen participation, school drives and the later "Catch the Rain" theme made water saving a people's movement.
Conclusion: By combining sharp targeting, inter-ministerial convergence and mass participation, the campaign strengthens long-term water security at the source.
What an examiner expects to see
- Run by the Ministry of Jal Shakti; first launched in 2019 as a time-bound, mission-mode campaign
- First edition targeted around 1,592 water-stressed blocks across 256 districts
- Five interventions: rainwater harvesting, renovation of water bodies, reuse/recharge structures, watershed development, intensive afforestation
- Convergence of central officers with district and panchayat administration
- Citizen-driven Jan Andolan with school and community participation
- Later editions ran under the 'Catch the Rain' theme
- Aim is source sustainability and long-term groundwater recharge
- Covers both southwest and northeast monsoon windows
Concrete cases, schemes and judgments
- Catch the Rain — 'Catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls' annual theme
- Renovation of traditional tanks, ponds and stepwells
- Watershed development under convergence with MGNREGA works
- Intensive afforestation drives in campaign districts