Replenishing the parched land

A well-coordinated ‘Catch the Rain’ campaign in Rajasthan’s Salumbar district, led by District Collector Jasmeet Singh Sandhu, has led to sustainable water-harvesting initiatives in the region

- ANIL SWARUP

In a state like Rajasthan, where water scarcity is a perennial issue, initiatives under the 'Catch the Rain' campaign and Jal Sanchay were launched to ensure water sufficiency in the district. The goal was to harvest every drop of rainwater and minimize water loss from various causes. As part of this, Salumbar district embarked on a massive exercise to construct water-harvesting structures such as anicuts, mini percolation tanks (MPTs), staggered trenches, ditches, contour trenches, and reservoirs like 'amrit sarovars' and 'talabs'. During 2022-23, a total of 1,531 water harvesting and conservation projects were sanctioned. Timely project sanctions were secured under MGNREGA, the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), Atal Bhujal Yojana, the Integrated Watershed Management Programme, and the Jal Shakti Abhiyan. These projects are at various stages of completion, resulting in a significant improvement in surface water availability. Additionally, surplus water is being directed to Jaisamand Lake, which has a holding capacity of 14,650 mcft at its full reservoir level of 295.5 m. Jaisamand Lake, Asia's second-largest artificial lake, thus serves as a valuable reservoir for the district. These water-harvesting sites ensure ample water for both humans and animals and are also being utilized as source water for the Jal Jeevan Mission to ensure long-term source sustainability.