Why in the news
Gujarat’s water minister Ishwarsinh Patel reported the results of the state’s Sujalam Sufalam Jal Abhiyan for 2026. Storage capacity rose by 20,789 lakh cubic feet this year, lifting the 2018-2026 gain to 1,38,039 lakh cubic feet.
Key facts
- SSJA is Gujarat’s own state-level campaign for water conservation and groundwater recharge; it first ran in 2018.
- The 2026 edition was inaugurated on 23 February 2026 at Gandhinagar by CM Bhupendra Patel; the date was moved forward because Holi fell on 3 March, so workers would not leave early.
- Work is carried out by 6 state departments, combining MGNREGA convergence with public participation (jan bhagidari).
- Storage gain in 2026: 20,789 lakh cubic feet; cumulative over 8 years: 1,38,039 lakh cubic feet.
- By May 2026, 13,315 works were finished, including pond deepening at 2,450 sites, desilting of 3,661 check dams and repair of 1,160 check dams.
- Around 2.30 lakh man-days of employment were generated; canal cleaning covered 626 km and drainage channel cleaning 1,277 km.
Goals of SSJA
| Aim | What it means |
|---|
| Storage | Raise surface water holding capacity |
| Recharge | Lift groundwater table |
| Resilience | Cushion against droughts and erratic monsoon |
| Community role | Involve Gram Panchayats and civil society |
| Jobs | Rural livelihoods through MGNREGA convergence |
| Heritage structures | Revive johads, baolis, tanks and check dams |
Jal Shakti Abhiyan and related drives
- Jal Shakti Abhiyan: begun 1 July 2019 by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat; first covered 256 water-stressed districts identified by CGWB; skipped in 2020 due to COVID.
- From 2021 it became JSA: Catch the Rain and covers all blocks of all districts; PM Modi launched it on World Water Day, 22 March 2021, with the slogan of catching rain where and when it falls.
- The 2024 theme was “Nari Shakti se Jal Shakti”; in 2025 CR Patil launched it from Panchkula, Haryana, across 148 districts.
- Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (6 September 2024, Surat): a PPP model for rainwater harvesting and recharge; Gujarat targeted 24,800 structures; nationally 10.9+ lakh identified and 9+ lakh completed.
- The Ministry of Jal Shakti was formed in May 2019 by merging the water resources and drinking water and sanitation ministries; the current Union Minister is C.R. Patil.
Other national water initiatives
| Scheme | Detail |
|---|
| Mission Amrit Sarovar | Started 24 April 2022; 75 revived water bodies per district; 68,000+ done by late 2024 |
| Atal Bhujal Yojana | Groundwater management with World Bank support; 2019 |
| Jal Jeevan Mission | Piped water for rural homes; 15 August 2019 |
| PMKSY | Farm irrigation scheme stressing micro-irrigation and more crop per drop |
| Namami Gange | Cleaning and rejuvenating the Ganga |
| Ken-Betwa Link | First link under National Perspective Plan; agreement 22 March 2021 |
Exam angle
- SSJA is a state campaign, not a Union scheme.
- Catch the Rain was launched under the National Water Mission framework and expanded by the Jal Shakti ministry.
- Remember the figures: 20,789 and 1,38,039 lakh cubic feet; 6 departments.