The Ministry of Jal Shakti reported significant achievements in groundwater revival through the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari: Catch the Rain campaign in Vizianagaram district, Andhra Pradesh. Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mann Ki Baat appeal, the district implemented the Jaladhara Jalaharathi programme through convergence of government programmes, focusing on restoring traditional water systems to enhance groundwater recharge.
Under the initiative, the district completed 8,973 water conservation works, including the rejuvenation of 6,424 Minor Irrigation tanks and 2,549 feeder channels. These efforts generated 1.28 crore person-days of employment while creating durable groundwater recharge assets. The large-scale desilting and restoration removed 109.9 lakh cubic metres of silt, cleared 82.48 lakh square metres of vegetation, and restored over 2,090 kilometres of feeder channels, allowing rainwater to flow freely into tanks and recharge zones instead of being lost as runoff.
The interventions are expected to substantially improve groundwater availability across the district. The rejuvenated tank system is projected to create an additional storage potential of 0.70 TMC (thousand million cubic feet), while the restored feeder channels and tanks together are expected to contribute nearly 0.60 TMC of groundwater recharge, enhancing aquifer replenishment and improving resilience against dry spells.
The district specifically prioritized 193 groundwater-deficit villages, where restoration works covered 596 feeder channels and 1,767 Minor Irrigation tanks. Additionally, 94 cascade tank systems were rejuvenated to restore natural hydrological connectivity between water bodies, improving infiltration and groundwater recharge across entire catchments.
The success demonstrates that sustainable groundwater management depends on active public participation, with farmers, Gram Panchayats, local communities, frontline workers, and district administration collectively reviving traditional water bodies that had gradually lost their recharge capacity. This community-led approach under the Jan Bhagidari initiative has transformed water conservation into a movement that improves climate resilience and secures water resources for future generations.