Water Conservation

India must continue with path-breaking Atal Bhujal Yojana to protect water

Participatory groundwater management is the lifeline of India's economy and society

Water budgeting: India needs better planning as scarcity risks rise

Erratic monsoon rains, longer dry periods, and more frequent floods mean India can no longer rely on historical rainfall patterns for planning

Chhattisgarh's 12 districts get national recognition for water conservation

Twelve districts of Chhattisgarh have been nationally recognised for large-scale water conservation efforts driven by strong public participation and innovative community-led initiatives

Telangana tops water conservation projects; Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan follow

With the construction of 5.2 lakh water conservation structures, Telangana has emerged as the best-performing state under the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) 1.0 initiative, the Ministry of Jal Shakti said on Tuesday. Chhattisgarh secured second place with 4.05 lakh completed projects, followed by Rajasthan with 3.64 lakh structures, Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil said. Paatil announced this year's awards being given under the "Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain" campaign. The awards will be presented at the 6th National Water Awards by President Droupadi Murmu on November 18, alongside V L Kantha Rao, Secretary of the Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation. Launched in September 2024 in Surat, JSJB promotes community-led water stewardship through a whole-of-government and whole-of-society model. States were tasked with creating a minimum of 10,000 artificial recharge and storage structures, while municipal corporations were required to complete a

Govt seeks data on contractors, agencies penalised under Jal Jeevan Mission

The Centre has directed all states and Union Territories to share details of contractors and third-party inspection agencies against whom penalties have been imposed under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), official sources said on Monday. The instruction is part of a wider directive from the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, which has asked Chief Secretaries to submit comprehensive reports, sources said. Contractors and inspection agencies against whom penalties have been imposed, blacklisting orders issued or recoveries made for irregularities under the JJM are to be included in the list, according to official sources. The DDWS has also sought information on action taken against officials of the Public Health Engineering Departments (PHED), including suspensions, removals, and FIRs registered in connection with complaints of substandard work or misuse of funds. States have further been asked to provide one-page summaries of each case

Centre earmarks 65% MGNREGA funds for over-exploited water blocks

The Rural Development and Jal Shakti ministries will allocate 65% of MGNREGA funds to over-exploited water blocks and 40% to semi-critical zones under a new water security plan

Only a third of world rivers had water within normal range in 2024: WMO

Only a third of rivers had normal flows in 2024 while glaciers shrank for the third year, WMO report warns, urging stronger monitoring and data sharing to avert future crises

Best of BS Opinion: India needs a new approach to managing gold and water

Today, we look at the challenges and opportunities that India faces in various areas, from gold to flowers to water, and most importantly, China.

Saving water: India needs a balanced management template to avert crisis

Though big dams such as the Sardar Sarovar and pipe-building programmes such as the Har Ghar Nal Yojana seek to address the issue of access, the real challenge is ensuring balanced water ecology

Trump takes break from trade war to make America's showerheads great again

Trump repeals Biden-era showerhead water limits in new executive order, saying low pressure affects his 'beautiful hair'; critics slam the rollback

Govt launches water conservation campaign from Haryana's Panchkula

Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil on Saturday stressed the importance of water conservation, stating that it is the need of the hour, as he launched the nationwide campaign "Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain-2025" from Panchkula. Addressing a gathering at the event, Patil said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had emphasised turning water conservation into a people's movement, and "today's event is a reflection of that." He emphasised that the need of the hour is to save water because water cannot be created. "Water will be the first criterion on which future generations will evaluate us. To secure water conservation for the future, we need to advance in water storage by making various plans and experimenting with different methods," said the Union Minister. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was also present at the occassion, according to an official release. The Union Minister said that, due to the visionary leadership of the prime minister, the growing problem of water scarc

Govt approves 56 new watershed development projects worth Rs 700 crore

The Rural Development Ministry has approved 56 new Watershed Development Projects that will be undertaken at a cost of Rs 700 crores in the ten best-performing states, the government said on Monday. In a statement issued here, the ministry said the projects will be undertaken in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim. "Department of Land Resources announces sanction of 56 new Watershed Development Projects at a cost of Rs 700 crores under the ongoing scheme of PMKSY-WDC 2.0 in the 10 best-performing states...," the ministry said. "Each project will approximately have an area of 5,000 hectares, but in hill states, it may be lesser. The initiative prioritises visible field impacts by allocating Rs 700 crore to cover approximately 2.8 lakh hectares, ensuring timely recovery of degraded land and efficient utilisation of funds," the statement said. "These projects would further help in increasing the income of

NYC issues first drought warning in 22 years, pauses aqueduct repairs

New York City on Monday issued its first drought warning in 22 years after months of little rain -- and will restart the flow of drinking water from an out-of-service aqueduct as supplies run low. Dry conditions across the northeast have been blamed for hundreds of brush fires. They had already prompted New York City and state officials to implement water-conservation protocols when Mayor Eric Adams upgraded the drought warning and temporarily halted a USD 2 billion aqueduct repair project that had stopped drinking water from flowing from some reservoirs in the Catskill region. Last week, a park on the northern tip of Manhattan caught fire, sending smoke billowing across the city -- less than a week after a brush fire in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. "New Yorkers should not under estimate the dry weather and what it means," Adams said at a news conference, noting the recent fires. "The fire risk is high and the fire risk is real." The city may elevate the warning to an emergency if dry

State secures top position in water conservation via public participation

Raipur district ranks first in the state in water conservation work with public participation in Chhattisgarh, where a total 35,758 water-conservation works have been completed

IUCN award conferred on conservation scientist Bibhab Talukdar on Friday

The organization now employs around 200 people in its various divisions

Assam to undertake Rs 800 cr project to rejuvenate 129 'beels': CM Sarma

Assam government will undertake an Rs 800 crore project to rejuvenate 129 'beels' (lake-like wetlands) in the state to boost fish production and aid in water storage, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday. "To be executed in collaboration with Asian Development Bank, it will revive 4000 hectares of beels to give fillip to indigenous fish production and water management,' Sarma posted on 'X'. Beels are the backbone of Assam's hydrological resources which enable flood mitigation, groundwater recharge, river flow regulation, erosion control and are a source of fisheries. Rejuvenation and restoration of the beels will lead to additional fish production of 1,200 kg/hectare annually, he said. The project is aimed at increasing the water storage capacity of the beels as well as conserving and managing the indigenous fish species. A beel is a lake-like wetland with still water. These lake-like wetlands are biodiversity hotspots in Assam and are home to many types of aquatic

Tapping wastewater: Govt floats 50% reuse mandate for bulk users by 2031

50% reuse target for new bulk users and 25% for existing bulk users after FY31

Jal Jeevan Mission: 160 mn rural families have access to tap water now

Nearly 16 crore rural households, ensuring 78.58 per cent of rural homes, now have access to potable water, a sharp increase from the 17 per cent coverage when the Jal Jeevan Mission began, according to the Jal Shakti ministry. Aimed at bridging the rural-urban divide and improving public health, the mission's objective is to provide Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) to every rural household by 2024. As of October 6, the ministry said the mission has provided tap water connections to 15.19 crore rural households, ensuring 78.58 per cent of rural homes now have access to potable water, a sharp increase from the 17 per cent coverage when the programme began. The initiative, which is also tackling water quality and drought-prone areas, is directly benefiting 19 crore rural families. The mission has added 11.95 crore new tap water connections since its launch, with states like Goa, Haryana, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh achieving 100 per cent rural household coverage. ...

Restoring river ecosystems vital to ensuring economic stability in India

River basin conservation also strongly influences the attainment of broader goals related to environmental conservation, climate change mitigation, and sustainable development

Centre to spend $300 mn to mitigate floods, conserve water in big cities

The federal government spending, the first flood control measure focused on water bodies, was approved recently and will also incorporate early-warning systems, said Krishna S. Vatsa