1.5 crore artificial groundwater recharge, storage works under JSJB initiative: Minister, Pg7

Key Highlights:

• Over 1.5 crore artificial groundwater recharge and storage works have been reported across India under the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) initiative.
• Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil announced that the majority of these works were created through community contributions.
• The initiative was launched on September 6, 2024, in Surat, Gujarat, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for community involvement in water conservation.
• Andhra Pradesh leads with 31.45 lakh works, followed by Chhattisgarh (27.13 lakh) and Madhya Pradesh (24.69 lakh).
• Each district has been tasked with ensuring at least five recharge structures per village, while Municipal Corporations aim for a minimum of 10,000 structures within their jurisdictions.

Detailed Insights:

• The JSJB initiative is a community-driven program operating under the broader Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR) campaign, building on the successful 'Jal Sanchay' model of Gujarat.
• Its primary objective is to enhance water security and resilience nationwide by promoting the construction and rejuvenation of artificial groundwater recharge structures through a "Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society" approach.
• The initiative is guided by a "3Cs mantra": Community participation, leveraging Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds, and optimizing Cost for sustainable water conservation efforts.
• Resource support for these works comes from government and non-government sources, including CSR funds, industrial houses, and civic bodies.
• The structures include various methods like rainwater harvesting, aquifer recharge, borewell recharge, recharge shafts, check dams, percolation tanks, soak pits, taankas, and stepwells.
• JSJB converges with other government schemes such as MGNREGA, District Mineral Funds, Atal Bhujal Yojana, 15th Finance Commission, and Jal Jeevan Mission to ensure source sustainability.
• The initiative aims to address declining groundwater levels, promote water conservation, enhance climate resilience, and improve water quality across the country.
• The first Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari Awards for 2025 were announced to recognize outstanding performers, with the awards scheduled to be conferred on November 18, 2025.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Artificial Groundwater Recharge: The process of augmenting natural groundwater supplies by diverting surface water into the ground through various structures.
• Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) Initiative: A community-driven program under the Ministry of Jal Shakti focused on constructing and rejuvenating water recharge structures with public and private participation.
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): A self-regulating business model that helps a company be socially accountable to itself, its stakeholders, and the public, often involving environmental conservation efforts.
• Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR): A national campaign by the Ministry of Jal Shakti to conserve water and recharge groundwater, emphasizing rainwater harvesting "where it falls, when it falls."