WATER MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION

The Ministry of Jal Shakti highlighted several initiatives aimed at improving water management and conservation. The Atal Bhujal Yojana pilot was implemented in 8,203 water‑stressed Gram Panchayats across 80 districts of seven states from April 2020 to October 2025, focusing on community‑led groundwater management and demand‑side interventions. A nationwide water‑body census identified and geo‑tagged over 24.2 lakh water bodies, while the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) programme constructed more than 1.55 crore artificial recharge structures. Digital tools such as NAQUIM, real‑time groundwater level monitoring (5,260 CGWB DWLRs plus state and ABY installations), the IN‑GRES web portal, and various dashboards (CTR, JSJB) support mapping, monitoring, and policy planning. Satellite‑based flood forecasting and GIS‑enabled monitoring under PMKSY further augment the data‑driven approach.