New campaign to promote rainwater harvesting launched

The National Water Mission has launched a new awareness campaign to promote rainwater harvesting. 'Jal Shakti Abhiyan II: Catch the Rain' was launched jointly by Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju.

New Delhi: The National Water Mission launched the 'Jal Shakti Abhiyan II: Catch the Rain' awareness campaign on Monday to promote rainwater harvesting, the Jal Shakti Ministry said.

The campaign was launched jointly by Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju.

The National Water Mission initiated the campaign in collaboration with Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.

The launch event was attended by a large number of participants on digital platforms including field functionaries of NYKS in all districts of the country, the Jal Shakti Ministry said in a statement.

Shekhawat emphasised the need to focus on water conservation and rainwater harvesting, while Rijiju stressed the importance of involving the youngsters in the revolutionary campaign.

As a preparatory phase of JSA-II, the ministry has involved NYKS for undertaking 'Catch the Rain' awareness campaign to cover 623 districts.

The awareness generation phase of campaign will run from mid-December 2020 to March 2021.

NYKS will undertake this awareness building campaign through various IEC activities which will include conducting education and motivational programmes and mass awareness campaigns.

During this period, NYKS teams will also meet the district administrations, line departments and water agencies, hold meetings with pradhans, local influencers and volunteers to further the cause and also prepare plans for the water conservation to be taken up in the next phase of the campaign.

NWM has launched "Catch the rain" campaign with tagline "catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls" in order to nudge all stakeholders to create rainwater harvesting structures suitable to the climatic conditions and sub-soil strata to store rainwater.

PTI