Nandyal District Strengthens Water Conservation Infrastructure and Storage Capacity under Catch the Rain Campaign

Key Highlights:

• The Catch the Rain Campaign (July 4 – August 4, 2026) is being implemented in Nandyal District, Andhra Pradesh.
• The campaign aims to conserve rainwater by restoring traditional water bodies, desilting feeder channels, and creating additional storage.
• It operates on the principle of “Catch the Rain, Where it Falls, When it Falls,” with scientific planning and community participation.
• 2,103 water conservation works have been grounded, and 2,691 km of feeder channels desilted.
• Restoration of 251 Minor Irrigation Tanks is underway, with 225 completed.
• These interventions are estimated to restore 3.27 TMC of tank storage capacity and add 0.03 TMC from new structures.

Detailed Insights:

• The campaign involves convergence with various departments to ensure coordinated implementation across the district.
• Scientific planning includes field surveys, mapping of priority water bodies, and technical assessments in all 489 Gram Panchayats.
• Local communities and village elders are consulted to identify interventions based on traditional knowledge and local needs.
• Proposed works are placed before the Gram Sabha to ensure transparency and active community participation.
• The district has strengthened its network of 22,221 Farm Ponds, 2,221 Check Dams, and 202 Percolation Tanks.
• These efforts significantly enhance rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, and overall water availability for agriculture and livelihoods.
• The integrated approach aims to improve long-term water security and climate resilience in the region.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Catch the Rain Campaign: A national campaign by the Ministry of Jal Shakti to promote water conservation and rainwater harvesting.
• Gram Sabha: The primary deliberative body of the Panchayati Raj system, comprising all adult residents of a village.
• Minor Irrigation Tanks: Small-scale water storage structures used for irrigation, typically managed at the local level.
• TMC (Thousand Million Cubic feet): A unit of volume commonly used to measure large quantities of water, especially in reservoirs.