Chhattisgarh’s Surajpur district has left an indelible mark of its success at the national level in the field of water conservation and groundwater recharge. Under the third phase of the “Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari” campaign run by the Union Government’s Jal Shakti Ministry, Surajpur has set a new record by securing fourth place in the country and first place in the state.
Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai shared information about the Surajpur model at the Jal Shakti Ministry’s summit held in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi. The Chief Minister said that water conservation in the state has not been limited to government schemes alone, but has been transformed into a mass movement with the cooperation of farmers, village panchayats, Jal Sakhis, and Jal Mitra.
- Key Statistics of the Water Conservation Campaign:
5,429 structures were constructed (Amrit Sarovar, pond deepening, farm pond, recharge pit, contour trench, and gabion check dam). Their water storage capacity is 9.489 million cubic meters. This increased the irrigated area by 5,608.26 hectares. All water structures are geo-tagged and regularly reviewed.
- “Public Participation and Administrative Efforts”
Collector Surajpur, Mrs. Rena Jamil, expressed happiness over this achievement and said that water conservation is the collective responsibility of every citizen. The villagers and farmers of the district have made this campaign a success by providing their land and donating their labor. The District Panchayat CEO stated that, implementing the Prime Minister’s message of “Catch the Rain – Save Water Where It Falls,” water security and irrigation facilities are being strengthened at the Panchayat level, leading to direct improvements in agricultural production and rural livelihoods.
