Raj campaign to replenish water holding capacity

Jaipur/Bhilwara: In a bid to combat a looming water crisis, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma Monday launched the state's largest water conservation initiative, titled Vande Ganga Jal Sanrakshan Jan Abhiyan, 2026. The campaign aims to enhance the state's water holding capacity by 20% before the monsoon season in response to alarming drops in reservoir levels across the state.The campaign was launched formally on the occasion of ‘Ganga Dashami' amid Vedic chants and rituals at the Bisaldev Mahadev temple near Bisalpur Dam. Similar events marking the campaign's launch were held across the state at major water bodies like Bandh Baretha in Bharatpur, among others.Rajasthan currently holds only 1.2% of the country's surface water resources, most of it across 693 reservoirs with a total holding capacity of over 13,000 million cubic meters (Mcum). As of late April, however, these reservoirs collectively stored only 6,806 Mcum, or just 52.2% of their capacity. Most alarmingly, 227 reservoirs have run completely dry in just the past six months.The pressure on groundwater is equally severe.Accounting for just 1.7% of the country's groundwater, Rajasthan depends on subterranean reserves for nearly 90% of its drinking water needs and roughly 60% of its irrigation. In many districts, water tables have been falling steadily for years, with a large number of groundwater blocks already categorised as over-exploited or critical.To overcome these challenges and bridge the gap between water storage potential and actual availability, the Vande Ganga Jal campaign will focus on de-silting ponds and lakes, reviving traditional water bodies and constructing rainwater harvesting structures at key sites across the state."Water is the future. Every drop saved today will secure the coming generations," CM Sharma said at the launch.He called for widespread public participation to turn the campaign into a movement, urging residents to treat water conservation as a shared responsibility. The campaign is slated to run until World Environment Day on June 5.