Water-stressed Raj to revive traditional water bodies through ‘Vande Ganga’ drive

Jaipur: With Rajasthan staring at a deepening water crisis and another harsh summer behind it, the state govt is preparing to launch a massive public campaign to revive traditional water sources and push water conservation as a people’s movement ahead of the monsoon.

The statewide Vande Ganga Jal Sanrakshan Jan Abhiyan will run from May 25 to June 5 — beginning on Ganga Dussehra and concluding on World Environment Day. The campaign aims to increase the water-holding capacity of traditional water bodies by nearly 20% through large-scale desilting, cleaning and restoration work across villages and cities.

Traditional structures such as baoris (stepwells), johads, nadis, taankas, bawaris, and jhalaras, once central to Rajasthan’s survival in arid conditions, have steadily declined due to urbanisation, encroachment, siltation, and neglect. Several studies have shown that many of these systems, if revived properly, can significantly improve groundwater recharge and local water availability.

“The objective is not limited to cleaning ponds or planting trees. We want water conservation to become a social responsibility and a mass movement involving every section of society,” a senior govt official said.

The campaign will formally begin with the chief minister performing jal poojan at the Bisalpur Dam in Tonk district. Sharma will offer prayers at a Shiva temple and conduct aerial surveys of the Isarda, Bandh Baretha, and Galwa dams to review water storage conditions before the monsoon. Later in the day, the chief minister will participate in Ganga Aarti at the Ganga Mata Temple in Bharatpur and lead a deepdaan ceremony at the Sujanganga canal.

Activities planned over the 12-day drive include shramdaan, plantation drives, jal chaupals, awareness rallies, essay competitions, cycle rallies, street plays and rainwater harvesting workshops across the state.

Women associated with Rajivika self-help groups will organise kalash yatras, while students and youth groups will participate in awareness campaigns focused on water conservation and environmental protection.

The Public Health Engineering Department will hold Vande Ganga Jal Seva camps at railway stations, bus stands, and mandis, while the Industries Department plans workshops on water audits, green offices and energy conservation.

Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said the state cannot tackle water scarcity through government intervention alone.

“Water conservation cannot remain only the government’s responsibility. Every citizen must treat it as a social and moral duty. Through public participation, we want to turn water conservation into a mass movement,” Sharma said.

The government is drawing confidence from last year’s campaign outcomes. During the previous edition, around 42,200 water sources were cleaned, 18,900 completed projects were inaugurated, and nearly 5,600 new conservation works were launched.