Mission Amrit Sarovar
Topic: Water Resources of India: Availability, Use and Conservation · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Mission Amrit Sarovar is a central mission launched in April 2022 to build or revive at least 75 ponds in every district of India. Each pond, called an Amrit Sarovar, is about one acre in size. The number 75 marks 75 years of India's Independence. The ponds store rainwater, recharge groundwater and give villages water for farming and animals. The mission matters because many old village ponds have been encroached on (taken over for other uses) or have fallen out of use.
Example
The first Census of water bodies (2023) found that most of India's water bodies are rural ponds, and that West Bengal has the most. Districts with many neglected ponds can revive them as Amrit Sarovars instead of digging new ones.
Don't confuse with
- Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain: this is a yearly campaign covering many kinds of water-saving work. It does not have a fixed pond target for each district.
Related concepts
- Water conservation and management
- Recycling and reuse of water
- Desalination
- National Water Policy 2012
- Jal Kranti Abhiyan
- Jal Jeevan Mission
- Atal Bhujal Yojana
- Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain