Why In News?

The government’s Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari: Catch the Rain 2026  (JSA: CTR) factsheet reveals over 1.55 crore artificial recharge and storage structures built under JSJB.

What Is The Catch The Rain Campaign?

• Launch: The Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR) was launched on 22 March 2021, on World Water Day by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

• Guiding Theme: Its theme is "Catch the Rain, Where It Falls, When It Falls".

• Foundation: It builds on the Jal Shakti Abhiyan 2019, which covered 1,592 water-stressed blocks across 256 districts.

Key Interventions

• Rainwater Harvesting: Installing harvesting systems, recharge pits and shafts in homes, societies, workplaces and public buildings.

• Reviving Traditional Sources: Restoring baolis, wells and ponds, and converting unused borewells into recharge points.

• Desilting: Cleaning ponds and reservoirs to hold more monsoon water.

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• Afforestation: Planting trees in catchment and recharge areas to improve water retention.

Jal Shakti Kendras

• District Knowledge Hubs: Jal Shakti Kendras (JSKs) serve as district-level centres that share harvesting techniques, give technical guidance and support local water planning.

JSJB: Catch The Rain (2026)

• Integration: Launched on 1 June 2026, it merged JSJB with the Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain campaign to build climate resilience.

• Scheme Convergence: It pools funds from VB-G RAM G, Per Drop More Crop and Repair, Renovation and Restoration of Water Bodies under PMKSY, CAMPA, Finance Commission grants and state schemes.

• Local Ownership: Panchayati Raj Institutions, urban local bodies, women's groups, youth, schools and civil society plan and implement the work.

• Digital Monitoring: The JSJB: CTR portal and mobile app track progress, improve transparency and collect public feedback.

Why Does India Need Community-Led Water Conservation?

World's Largest User: India is the world's largest groundwater user, accounting for about 25% of global extraction. Groundwater supports 64% of irrigation and 85% of rural drinking water. (Source: Central Ground Water Board)

• Farm Dominance: About 87% of extracted groundwater goes to agriculture and about 11% to domestic use.  

• Stage Of Extraction: India's Stage of Groundwater Extraction stands at 60.63%, with annual recharge of 448.52 BCM and extraction of 247.22 BCM.  

• Stressed Units: Of 6,762 assessment units, 730 (10.8%) are over-exploited, 2.97% critical and 11.21% semi-critical. 

• Signs Of Improvement: Over-exploited units fell from 17.2% in 2017 to 10.8% in 2025, while safe units rose from 62.6% to 73.14%. 

What Are The Key Challenges In Water Conservation?

Over-Extraction

• Regional Hotspots: In some states, extraction far exceeds natural recharge, so new structures alone cannot close the gap.

• Example: In 2025, Punjab extracted groundwater at 156.36% of its annual recharge, Rajasthan at 147.11% and Haryana at 136.75%, driven mainly by water-intensive irrigation. (Source: CGWB)

• Crop And Power Subsidies: Free or cheap farm electricity and procurement support for paddy encourage heavy pumping.

Quality Over Quantity

• Structure Maintenance: Recharge pits and ponds silt up quickly without regular upkeep, so counting structures may overstate actual recharge.

• Example: The impact study assessed 23 lakh structures, a fraction of the 1.55 crore built. Most structures have not yet been independently checked for actual recharge.

• Rainfall Dependence: About 60% of groundwater recharge comes from rainfall, so a weak monsoon can wipe out gains. (Source: CGWB)

Legal And Institutional Gaps

• Outdated Law: Under the Indian Easements Act, 1882, groundwater rights are tied to land ownership, which lets landowners pump without limit.

• Fragmented Governance: Separate agencies handle surface and groundwater, making integrated planning difficult.

• Example: The Mihir Shah Committee (2016) found this fragmentation a key weakness, and recommended merging the Central Water Commission and the Central Ground Water Board into a single National Water Commission.

What Is The Way Forward For Water Conservation?

Community Groundwater Governance

• Demand-Side Management: Communities must manage how much water they use, not just how much they recharge.

• Example: The World Bank-supported Atal Bhujal Yojana, launched in 2019 in seven states, helps village communities prepare water budgets and adopt water-saving practices, linking incentives to measured outcomes.

• Scale Up Proven Village Models: Successful community efforts can guide the national campaign.

• Example: In Rajasthan's Alwar district, communities working with Tarun Bharat Sangh built traditional johads (earthen check dams) that helped revive the once-dry Arvari River.

Legal And Urban Reforms

• Modern Groundwater Law: States should adopt laws treating groundwater as a common resource, based on the Model Groundwater (Sustainable Management) Bill, 2016.

• Mandatory Urban Harvesting: Cities can make rainwater harvesting compulsory in all buildings (Source: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs).

• Example: Tamil Nadu made rainwater harvesting mandatory in all buildings in 2003, which helped improve groundwater levels in Chennai in the following years.

Efficient Water Use

• Micro-Irrigation: Expanding drip and sprinkler irrigation under Per Drop More Crop can cut farm water use.

• Crop Diversification: Shifting from paddy to millets and pulses in over-exploited areas reduces groundwater pumping.

• Independent Audits: Third-party, geo-tagged checks of a larger sample of structures will show whether they actually recharge groundwater.

Conclusion

Catch the Rain and Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari mark a shift towards decentralised, community-driven water conservation. Long-term water security will depend on pairing recharge with demand control, modern groundwater laws and regular maintenance of structures.

Source: PIB