Chief Minister Urges Citizens to Make Water Conservation Part of Daily Life, Protect Water Structures and Adopt Responsible Water Practices
Chief Minister Shri Sai and Union Minister Shri C. R. Patil Review ‘Jal Sanchay–Jan Bhagidari 2.0’; Chhattisgarh’s Water Conservation Efforts Praised
Target of 10 Lakh Water Structures by May 31; Dabri Construction to Strengthen Water Security and Support Farmers
Raipur, February 20, 2026// Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai and Union Jal Shakti Minister Shri C. R. Patil jointly chaired a review meeting today at the Chief Minister’s residence office in Nava Raipur to assess the implementation of the “Jal Sanchay–Jan Bhagidari 2.0” campaign in the state. Union Minister Shri Patil joined the meeting virtually and addressed the participants. Collectors of Bilaspur, Durg and Surajpur presented detailed updates on activities undertaken under the campaign in their respective districts.
Chief Minister Shri Sai said that water scarcity in the 21st century is not only a serious environmental concern but also an economic, social and developmental challenge. He stressed that public participation is essential to make water conservation sustainable and effective. Referring to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s message of treating water like ‘prasad’, he emphasised adopting a sensitive and responsible approach towards water use. Chief Minister said the state government is committed to turning water conservation into a people’s movement under the Prime Minister’s guidance.
He noted that in the first phase of the campaign, Chhattisgarh secured second place nationally, while several districts received awards in different categories. Under the community participation model, large-scale works such as borewell recharge, rooftop rainwater harvesting, recharge shafts, soak pits and open-well recharge structures were undertaken. Chief Minister said that at present five critical and 21 semi-critical groundwater blocks have been identified in the state. Compared to 2024, five of these blocks recorded reduced groundwater extraction and improvement in water levels in 2025, indicating positive outcomes of conservation efforts.
Chief Minister said that the second phase, “Jal Sanchay–Jan Bhagidari 2.0,” is adopting a technology-driven and result-oriented strategy. The state government has set a target of constructing 10 lakh water conservation structures by May 31, 2026, calling it a historic step towards water security. On the occasion of the state’s silver jubilee year, a special initiative is encouraging more than four lakh farmers owning over 10 acres of land to construct farm ponds (dabris) in their fields. District administrations are working in coordination with industrial groups for this effort. These structures will help improve groundwater levels and provide farmers additional benefits such as irrigation and fish farming.
He said the second phase will also focus on geotagging all water structures, preparing water budgets for gram panchayats and developing water security plans. Village youth will be trained as “Jal Mitras” to support the campaign. Chief Minister added that with special focus on critical and semi-critical blocks, targets have been set for 40 percent of conservation works in semi-critical blocks and 65 percent in critical blocks. He urged citizens to make water conservation part of daily life, protect water structures and adopt responsible water practices.
Union Jal Shakti Minister Shri C. R. Patil appreciated the state’s work and innovations in water conservation. He said Chhattisgarh’s second position nationally last year reflects its strong efforts and is a matter of pride. He recalled that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari Abhiyan from Surat in September 2024 with a call for collective participation in water conservation from one’s workplace to one’s homeland, aiming to transform conservation into a mass movement.
Shri Patil urged all collectors to ensure full and effective utilisation of funds received under MGNREGA for water conservation works. He praised the work of a woman sarpanch that he saw during his Rajnandgaon visit, where she had undertaken notable water conservation efforts through her own initiative. He stressed the need for wider public participation in water conservation.
The meeting was attended by Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Shri Subodh Kumar Singh, Water Resources Secretary Shri Rajesh Sukumar Toppo, Union Ministry of Jal Shakti Secretary Shri Kantha Rao, and all district collectors of Chhattisgarh, who joined virtually.
