As many as 1660 water conservation works have been sanctioned in the district of West Godavari in Andhra Pradesh, of which 1096 are in different stages of progress, according to Central Nodal Officer (CNO), Mr. Sudhaker Shukla, Chief Economic Adviser, Ministry of Rural Development.

Introduction The Mahabari Deopani area in Dooars region of West Bengal has perennial springs which are the only source of water for drinking and domestic consumption. In the last 3 years, these springs had started drying up and turned seasonal. Consequently, the homemakers had to trek upstream for about 500–700 m through sloped terrain to fetch water. Recharging of groundwater by checking run-off was found to be the only solution to rejuvenate the spring. Hence, a project to develop the upstream area for containment and slow release of run-off was undertaken by Gram Panchayat in Matiali Batabari of Matiali Development Block in Jalpaiguri District.

Introduction Uttari Noneya and Enarwabhar villages, which were located in Paharpur block in Purbi Champaran District of Bihar, had no proper drainage system. As a result, wastewater was stagnating near the houses, creating unhygienic conditions and providing a breeding ground for mosquitoes. To address this issue, it was decided to provide soak pits to individual households in these villages. The primary objective of this intervention was not only to improve the hygiene in these villages but also to use the wastewater for recharging the groundwater. The Block Development Office initiated the project.

Jalore is a dark zone district in Rajasthan where the extraction of groundwater takes place at a faster rate than its recharge. Although water from the Narmada canal is used for drinking purposes, there is insufficient water for agriculture and other uses, considering that the district receives scanty rainfall. This was reported by the Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) team comprising Central Nodal Officer (CNO) – Anuradha Prasad, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Labour And Employment, Government of India; Block Nodal Officer (BNO) – Chandra Kant Reejonia, Director, Ministry of Law and Justice; Technical Officers (TO) – Deb Jyoti Monda and Junaid Ahmad, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

Introduction Mansa District falls in the southern part of Punjab. Agriculture forms the backbone of the district economy. The main source of irrigation is canals, dug wells and tube wells. The major concern of the district is depleting water table. Being a desert district, Mansa has sandy soil, which has great absorption capacity and a low groundwater level. This makes the district suitable for the construction of soak pits. The idea of constructing soak pits in schools was mooted by district administration as a lot of grey water is generated from cooking midday meals and washing of utensils. Thus, constructing soak pits in the washing area would help in water conservation.