Wetland Recognition and Water conservation efforts-Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari Program

Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari Program.

Launch & Recognition: This program was launched in 2024 as a component of the campaign program, Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain. Recently, Karnataka district of Bidar was given the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari Award as a top performing district.

Purpose: The overall aim is to improve the water security by a large-scale implementation of water saving methods such as rainwater harvesting, aquifer recharge, and borewell recharge. It works on the basis of a whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach.

Key Goals:

• Replenish Groundwater: To absorb the rain and surface runoff in order to elevate and stabilize the ground water levels.
• Foster Water Stewardship: To foster culture of water conservation by involving the community in water resource management of local water resources.
• Develop Climate Resilience: To develop water reservoirs to manage the floods of rain and to have a reserve against the droughts.
• Enhance Water Quality: To adopt artificial recharge, where water is filtered by the soil layers, which would reduce contamination and saltiness.
• Nodal Ministry: Jal Shakti Ministry.

New Ramsar Sites in Bihar

Two Bihar wetlands are recently declared as Ramsar sites which have international significance.

Gokul Jalashaya (Buxar):

• It is an oxbow lake which is located on the banks of the Ganga River.
• The seasonal pulses of flooding of the Ganges hydrology and its surrounding land use are dynamically affected. During dry months the region is a mixture of bare marshes and farmlands and in the rainy season there is massive flooding of the area.
• It acts as a natural buffer of flood control to neighboring villages.

Udaipur Jheel (West Champaran):

• It is also an oxbow lake with the forests of the Udaipur Wildlife Sanctuary as its borders.
• It is a biodiversity-hotspot with more than 280 species of plants, including the perennial herb Alysicarpus roxburghianus, which is endemic to India.
• It is a very important wintering place to approximately 35 species of migratory birds including the endangered Common Pochard.
• Conservation Problems: Wetland is threatened by poaching and contamination by intensive farming of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the surrounding areas.

Summary: These advances show that India has been simultaneously concerned with the management of water resources at the community level and the international status of the wetlands ecosystems that are in danger.