The Jal Swavalamban Abhiyan, launched in Rajasthan in 2024 to make the villages self-sufficient in water, will promote the works with the support of corporate social responsibility (CSR) for harvesting rainwater, improving groundwater levels and reviving old water sources. The scheme aims at building 5 lakh water harvesting structures in 20,000 villages.
Memorandums of understanding were also signed with several organisations, agreements for development works were concluded and deliberations were held for speeding up works for tree plantation, construction of check dams and creation of water sources at a workshop focused on CSR activities here on Thursday (April 9, 2026).
Addressing the workshop, Panchayati Raj Minister Madan Dilawar said the threat posed by “dark zones”, with critically low groundwater levels, should be countered with the measures such as rejuvenation of extinct rivers and removal of obstacles to the natural flow of water. “Our emphasis should be on reducing groundwater extraction to the minimum possible level,” Mr. Dilawar said.
Mr. Dilawar described public participation as the cornerstone of the Abhiyan’s success, while affirming that water conservation could be achieved through collective efforts. The priority should be given to the rejuvenation of stepwells and ponds and development of grasslands, he said.
