Jal Kranti Abhiyan
Topic: Water Resources of India: Availability, Use and Conservation · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 4 "Water Resources"
Meaning
Jal Kranti Abhiyan was a central campaign launched in 2015-16 to make India water-secure. Its name means "water revolution campaign". It proposed:
- a 'Jal Gram' in each of 672 districts, meaning a water-stressed village chosen to become a model of water conservation;
- model command areas of about 1,000 ha (a command area is the land watered by an irrigation project);
- arsenic-free wells in areas where groundwater is poisoned;
- mass awareness about saving water.
It matters because it tried to bring water saving down to the village level.
Example
The plan for arsenic-free wells was aimed at places such as the young alluvial plains of West Bengal and Bihar. There, heavy pumping releases natural arsenic from the soil into the groundwater, causing skin lesions and cancer.
Don't confuse with
- Jal Jeevan Mission (2019): it aims to give every rural home a working tap. Jal Kranti Abhiyan was about conserving water and raising awareness, not about laying tap connections.
Related concepts
- Water conservation and management
- Recycling and reuse of water
- Desalination
- National Water Policy 2012
- Jal Jeevan Mission
- Atal Bhujal Yojana
- Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain
- Mission Amrit Sarovar