The Ministry of Jal Shakti recently hosted a noteworthy event called the “Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman 2023”. The primary aim of the celebration was to honour women achievers in rural areas who are leading the way in water and sanitation initiatives. Complementing the festivities, the Jal Shakti Abhiyan – Catch the Rain 2023 was also launched during the event.
Highlighting the Role of Women in Water and Sanitation
The event was organized as a prelude to International Women’s Day, which falls on the 8th of March. The motivation was not just to celebrate the occasion, but also to underscore the pivotal role women play at the grassroots level in achieving a dream: a cleaner India brimming with safe water resources – ‘Swachh Sujal Bharat’.
A total of 36 women who excelled in the field of WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) were recognized and awarded the ‘Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman 2023’. These women have been instrumental in successfully implementing various campaigns at a grassroots level. These campaigns include Swachh Bharat Mission – Gramin (SBM-G), Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), and Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA-CTR).
The President personally congratulated these women achievers who have displayed exemplary work and made significant contributions towards developing ODF Plus Model Villages, ensuring every home gets safe drinking water (Har Ghar Jal Villages), and have worked relentlessly for water conservation under the National Flagship Missions.
The Launch of Catch the Rain 2023
The President of India also marked the commencement of ‘Catch the Rain-2023’. This campaign aims to make water conservation a mass movement across the country, especially in the run-up to the monsoon season. The campaign bears the tagline ‘Catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls’ and is in line with the Theme 2023: ‘Source Sustainability for Drinking Water’.
Catch the Rain is an initiative that encourages people nationwide to install rainwater harvesting structures. The National Water Mission (NWM) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti implements this campaign, which operates in both rural and urban areas of India.
Efforts Diversity in Water Conservation
There have been various efforts to conserve water, including several noteworthy initiatives such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Jal Kranti Abhiyan, NITI Aayog’s Composite Water Management Index, Atal Bhujal Yojana, and National Water Awards. These schemes are all part of the larger government machinery aimed at conserving and managing water effectively.
Implementing National Water Mission
If the National Water Mission is implemented fully, it can have far-reaching impacts on the country. It could help meet the water needs of urban areas through recycled wastewater and cater to the water requirements of coastal cities with insufficient alternative water sources by using ocean water. By linking the rivers of Himalayan origin with the peninsular rivers, water distribution could be more efficient. Furthermore, farmers’ expenses incurred in digging bore-wells and installing motors and pumpsets to draw groundwater could potentially be reimbursed by the government.