(a) whether the Government is considering to launch a 100 day Catch the Rain Campaign in view of a need to have collective responsibility on water conservation;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government comes out with schemes to catch the rain or rain harvesting; and
(d) if so, the details thereof along with the progress made in this regard in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI & SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
(SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA)
(a) & (b) Ministry of Jal Shakti is taking up a nation-wide campaign “Jal Shakti Abhiyan : Catch the Rain” (JSA:CTR) focusing on saving and conserving rainwater with the theme “Catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls” from 22 March 2021 to 30 November, 2021 in the pre-monsoon and monsoon periods of 2021, covering both urban and rural areas of all the districts in the country.
(c) & (d) National Water Mission, Ministry of Jal Shakti launched a campaign “Catch the Rain” with the tag line “Catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls” in 2020 to nudge the states and all stakeholders to create Rain Water Harvesting Structures (RWHS) suitable to the climatic conditions and sub-soil strata, with people’s active participation.
As a preparatory step for the "Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain" campaign in 2021, a massive awareness drive was launched on 21st December 2020 in collaboration with the "Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan" (NYKS) involving Youth Clubs in 623 districts across the country including Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Government is implementing a number of schemes for rainwater harvesting which include Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme etc. Trainings, workshops, painting competitions, awards, seminars, water talks, webinars etc. are also held for awareness generation and for effective implementation of schemes and programmes on water conservation and rainwater harvesting.
Central Ground Water Board is implementing Aquifer Rejuvenation Project through Artificial Recharge in selected over-exploited blocks in the country under Aspirational District Programme. As a part of this Scheme, check dams, percolation tanks, sub surface barriers, recharge shafts and piezometers have been constructed in Pulivendula block in Andhra Pradesh and Bachennapet in Telangana.
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