Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], May 8 : Advancing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong resolve for water conservation, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel launched the Catch the Rain-Sujalam Sufalam Jal Abhiyan 2.0 on April 4. The campaign has now completed over a month, and in this short span, the state government has made remarkable progress, as per data available till May 5, implementation has begun on 1,300 out of the targeted 10,523 works, while 317 works have been fully completed, the Chief Minister's office said in a press release.
Mehsana district is leading the Sujalam Sufalam Jal Abhiyan 2.0 with 416 successful projects, the highest among all districts in Gujarat. Following Mehsana, Banaskantha (159), Bharuch (139), Anand (121), and other districts like Devbhumi Dwarka (114), Gir Somnath (99), and Porbandar (93), are also playing vital roles in the campaign's success. Additionally, Botad (91), Ahmedabad (88), Navsari (74), Jamnagar (58), Junagadh (30), Amreli (23), Bhavnagar (20), Sabarkantha (20), Patan (16), Gandhinagar (12), and Panchmahal (10) have also registered active participation in the campaign
Under the Sujalam Sufalam Jal Abhiyan 2.0, work is being carried out across 36 different categories, with pond deepening emerging as the most active initiative. Of the 1,859 targets set for 2025, 450 works are currently in progress, and 4 have been completed. Other key activities include borewell recharge, where 149 of the targeted 660 projects are underway, and check dam desilting, with 133 out of 1,990 projects initiated. Additionally, a total of 826 check dam repair works has been planned. The campaign also encompasses several other activities such as canal structure cleaning, stormwater drain maintenance, and rainwater harvesting, reinforcing a comprehensive approach to water conservation across the state.
Under the Sujalam Sufalam Jal Abhiyan 2.0, Gujarat's Water Resources Department is spearheading efforts with a record 5,734 planned water conservation projects, of which 632 are already in progress. The Rural Development Department follows with 2,244 targeted works and 478 underway. Other key departments contributing to the campaign include the Water Supply Department (796 projects), Panchayat and Rural Housing Department (600), and urban local bodies (644), reaffirming a whole-of-government approach to water sustainability.
Under SSJA 2.0, the implementation methods have been divided into three categories this year: MGNREGA, public participation, and departmental works. According to the master plan of the campaign, the target is to complete 2,240 works under MGNREGA, and so far, 476 works have been initiated, with 213 completed, making MGNREGA the leader in this category.
In terms of departmental works, there is a target of 4,227 works, with 387 works currently in progress and 60 completed. For public participation, a total of 4,056 works is targeted, and 437 works are in progress, with 44 completed. Moreover, the campaign has successfully created over 68,586 man-days of labor through these activities.