Bihar Got Third Prize in the Category of Best States in the 4th National Water Awards | 19 Jun 2023

Why in News?

On June 17, 2023, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar presented the third award to Bihar in the category of Best States at the fourth National Water Awards ceremony of the Union Jal Shakti Ministry at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

Key Points:

• Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar presented the award to Dr. N. Saravana Kumar, Secretary, Rural Development Department, Bihar and Rahul Kumar, Mission Director, Jal Jeevan Hariyali Mission in the presence of Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
• Rahul Kumar, Mission Director of Jal Jeevan Hariyali Mission, said that the Jal Jeevan Hariyali Abhiyan is being praised from many forums of the country and the world today. Bihar is the first state in the country to launch such a statewide campaign aimed at environmental protection and climate change challenges. The Central Ground Water Board of the Government of India has also appreciated this campaign in its report and has reported an increase in the groundwater of the state.
• He said that during the operation period of three and a half years, about 30,000 public ponds, reservoirs, canals, pines and wells have been freed from encroachments under the Jal Jeevan Hariyali Abhiyan. More than 80,000 public water harvesting structures have been renovated.
• In order to increase the level of groundwater, about 1.5 lakh soak pits have been constructed on the banks of public wells and ponds across the state. About ten thousand check dams and other water harvesting structures have been constructed in the catchment areas of small rivers, streams and hilly areas.
• About 35,000 new water bodies have been created. Rooftop rainwater harvesting work has been done on 13,500 public buildings. Under the campaign, the micro-irrigation system in agricultural works is also getting emphasized.
• It is known that in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched the Jal Jeevan Hariyali Campaign on October 2, 2019, which aims to reduce the adverse effects of climate change and protect the environment.
• Under this campaign, 11 identified components are being implemented across the state, which include encroachment free of public water harvesting structures, their restoration, rooftop rainwater harvesting, large-scale construction of soak pits, construction of new water sources and micro irrigation.
• Conducted in coordination with 15 departments of the state, this campaign is being monitored from the level of the Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Mission under the Rural Development Department.