Surat, (Gujarat) [India]: A grand event focused on the Water Conservation – Public Participation Movement will be held this Sunday in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajalal Sharma, and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary. The event will take place at the Indoor Stadium at 4:00 PM.
Addressing a press conference, Union Minister for Jal Shakti C.R. Patil emphasized the success of Gujarat’s water conservation model, which is set to become a role model for the entire country. He mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the “Catch the Rain” project in 2021, under which efforts are made to collect every drop of rainwater, ensuring that village water stays in the village and field water in the fields.
Recently, the water conservation public participation campaign was launched in Surat, with more than 80,000 commitments already secured for rainwater harvesting projects across the state. The collaboration between industries, NGOs, and the government aims to expand this initiative to over 200,000 rainwater harvesting projects in the near future.
The minister further elaborated on how businesspersons and entrepreneurs from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar, residing in Surat, have actively joined this movement. They aim to make Gujarat’s water conservation model a role model for the entire country.
- Businessmen from Rajasthan have committed to establishing four borewells per village across Rajasthan to channel rainwater underground.
- Businesspersons from Madhya Pradesh will undertake rainwater harvesting projects in 3,500 villages across the state.
- Entrepreneurs from Bihar will work on water recharge projects in several villages across five districts in their home state.
Minister Patil highlighted that significant efforts are being made to ensure that rainwater percolates into the ground, so it can be retrieved when needed. He shared the success stories of Gujarat’s apartment complexes and societies, where borewells are used to store rainwater underground. Additionally, rainwater harvesting systems have been implemented in Surat’s police stations, headquarters, and government offices to store rooftop water.
The press conference, held at Le Méridien Hotel, was attended by prominent dignitaries, including Finance Minister Kanu Desai, State Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi, Surat Mayor Dakshesh Mavani, MLA Sangeetaben Patil, and Surat city BJP President Niranjan Zanzmera, along with several businessmen.
