With the 2022 southwest monsoon season around the corner, the State government has initiated measures for stepping up rainwater harvesting in line with a Central government directive regarding the 'Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain-2022' campaign.
Following a meeting convened by the Chief Secretary earlier this month, the State government has issued orders directing the State Groundwater Department to activate rainwater harvesting facilities in various districts and coordinate the Statewide effort during the monsoon months.
District officers of the Groundwater department have been designated nodal officers of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan mission for overseeing the implementation of the campaign by the District Jal Shakti Kendras.
They will also liaise with other government departments/agencies involved in the campaign including Irrigation department, Kerala Water Authority, Jalanidhi, Soil Survey and Conservation, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Agriculture department, and the Haritha Keralam Mission.
In March, the Central government had written to States urging them to make preparations for water conservation and recharge, ahead of the monsoon so as to maximise harvesting and seasonal rainfall use. This year, the campaign, which has the tagline 'Catch the rain: Where it falls, when it falls' will cover rural and urban areas in all districts in the country.
''The principle of reuse, recycle and recharge of water would be inherent to the Abhiyaan and the management of used or waste water, especially grey water, would also be part of the campaign,'' the Centre had noted.
In 2019, the campaign had covered 1,592 blocks in 256 water-stressed districts across India. In the 2021 edition, around 42 lakh water-related works were taken up, according to the Centre.
