Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain

Geography glossary

Also called: Catch the Rain · Topic: Water Resources of India: Availability, Use and Conservation · NCERT: Beyond NCERT

Meaning

Jal Shakti Abhiyan is a national campaign to save water. It began in 2019 in water-stressed districts, meaning districts where water is already short. It has been held every year since 2021 under the name "Catch the Rain". Its slogan is "Catch the Rain, where it falls, when it falls". The aim is to hold rainwater close to where it falls, before it runs off. Work under the campaign includes:

  • rainwater harvesting structures;
  • reviving old ponds and tanks;
  • pits and wells that recharge groundwater;
  • tree planting.

Example

Bengaluru in Karnataka shows why the campaign is needed. The city's borewells failed in 2024. Catching rain locally refills the groundwater that such borewells depend on.

Don't confuse with

  • Mission Amrit Sarovar (2022): it has one fixed target, at least 75 ponds in each district. Catch the Rain is a yearly campaign that covers many kinds of conservation work.

Related concepts

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