Jal Shakti Abhiyan II campaign was launched in the state on World Water Day, 22nd March 2021 with the theme “ catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls” along with the rest of the Country. The campaign aims to nudge all stakeholders to adopt proper rainwater harvesting measures with people’s active participation and to spread awareness among citizens about the need for water conservation.

Under the campaign, the following activities are to be taken up -drives to construct check dams, water harvesting pits, rooftop rainwater harvesting structures, removal of encroachments and de-silting tanks to increase their storage capacity, removal of obstructions in the channels which bring water to them from the catchment areas, etc.; repairs to step-wells and using defunct bore-wells and unused wells to put water back to aquifers, etc.

            Therefore, to facilitate these activities, “Jal Shakti Kendra” has been set up in the Office of the Executive Engineer, Water Resources Department, Zunheboto with the Helpline No. 8787583227 which will be manned by a Technical expert for any Jal Shakti Abhiyan related queries in the district. This Kendra will act as a technical guidance center for all in the districts to catch the rain, where it falls, and when it falls. These JSK will facilitate as a ‘Knowledge Centre’ for disseminating information related to water conservation techniques and will provide technical guidance to people about appropriate rainwater harvesting structures suitable to the climatic conditions and soil strata to be taken up to store rainwater.

(Avika Awomi, IA Zunheboto)