What are the salient features of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan launched by the Government of India for water…

Question

What are the salient features of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan launched by the Government of India for water conservation and water security?

Ghissu Editorial · Accepted Answer

The Jal Shakti Abhiyan, launched on 1 July 2019, was a time-bound people's campaign for water conservation that used officers, convergent funding and five core interventions. Its first phase covered 1,592 water-stressed blocks in 256 districts and later became JSA: Catch the Rain.

**Introduction**

Groundwater meets nearly 62% of India's irrigation needs and 85% of rural drinking water (PIB, 2026). The Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA), launched on 1 July 2019, was a time-bound campaign to turn water conservation into a people's movement.

**Design Features of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan**

1. **Targeted at water stress**: Its first phase, from 1 July to 15 September 2019, covered 1,592 water-stressed blocks in 256 districts, with a second phase in October and November for states with a retreating monsoon.
2. **Officers and convergence**: Central officers worked with district teams, and works were funded by dovetailing MGNREGS, PMKSY, CAMPA and state schemes rather than a new fund.
3. **A jan andolan**: Gram sabhas, self-help groups, schools and Krishi Vigyan Kendra melas mobilised communities so that saving water became everyone's business.

**How It Builds Water Security**

SKETCH: mindmap | JSA core interventions
- Rainwater harvesting
- Water body renovation
- Borewell recharge
- Watershed development
- Intensive afforestation

1. **Water from rainfall**: The five core interventions capture monsoon runoff where it falls and recharge aquifers instead of letting rain drain away.
2. **Planning and tracking**: Block and district water conservation plans, 3D contour mapping and geo-tagging made assets traceable.
3. **Scaling up**: JSA: Catch the Rain (2021) extended the campaign to every district with district Jal Shakti Kendras, and Mission Amrit Sarovar completed over 68,000 ponds by March 2025 (PIB).

**Conclusion**

By pairing targeted blocks with community ownership and convergent funding, the Jal Shakti Abhiyan moved India's water policy from building supply to conserving every drop, advancing SDG 6 and long-term water security.

What are the salient features of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan launched by the Government of India for water conservation and water security?

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