Rajiv Gandhi Jal Sanchay Yojana (RGJSY) is being implemented with effective convergence of various Central and State schemes, effective convergence of funds, assistance of Corporate, Religious trusts, Social sects, NGOs and public contribution, and by providing State fund to execute water conservation and water harvesting activities.
Background:
Rajasthan, with a geographical area of 343 lakh hectare, is the largest State of the country, having 10.40 per cent of the total area of the country. Out of this area, about 101 lakh hectare is waste land and only 168 lakh hectare area is cultivable.
Despite being the largest state in terms of area, only 1.16 per cent of total water resources is available in the state. The annual rainfall in the state also varies from 100 mm in the arid west to 900 mm in the South-East.
Usually, every three out of five years, most districts of the state are affected by drought because of uncertain and varied distributions of rainfall. Moreover, owing to high intensity of rainfall and improper water conservation system, a large percentage of this rainfall goes waste resulting in continuous depletion of water table and further, conversion of cultivable land into waste-land.
To resolve these serious issues, the State Government has decided to launch Rajiv Gandhi Jal Sanchay Yojana (RGJSY) to ensure maximum rainwater harvesting, water conservation and judicious use of available water sources in the State.
Major Objectives of Rajiv Gandhi Jal Sanchay Yojana (RGJSY)
- To generate awareness about water conservation.
- To ensure effective implementation of rejuvenation of traditional water resources, construction of new water sources, water conservation and water harvesting related activities in rural areas from available financial resources (Centre, State, Corporate, Trusts and People’s participation) through effective convergence.
- To make efforts to ensure availability of drinking water within village/ nearby village vicinity and resolve the issue of shortage of drinking water.
- To improve the status of ground water availability and to check the rate of depletion of water table.
- To increase cultivable area and irrigated area through water conservation and rain water harvesting activities.
- To increase green cover through intensive afforestation
Major Activities in Rajiv Gandhi Jal Sanchay Yojana:
- Watershed (catchment) area treatment: Trenches, Farm Ponds, Mini Percolation Tank (MPT), Khadin, Johar, Tanka, Small Anicuts, Earthen check dams, Water harvesting structures, Field Bund, Water storage structures etc.
- Repair of minor irrigation work, renovation and reinforcement work.
- Reinforcement of drinking water sources.
- Construction of artificial recharge structures.
- Pasture development & plantation.
- Promotion of advanced methods of cropping & horticulture (Drip, Solar pump etc.).
The first phase of Rajiv Gandhi Jal Sanchay Yojana commenced on 20 August 2019 in around 4,000 villages of all 295 blocks of all 33 districts of the State. The completion period of phase-I is two years.
