Rajnandgaon's Mission Jal Raksha shows the way under 'Catch the Rain'
The Jal Shakti Ministry on 26 July 2026 highlighted Mission Jal Raksha of Rajnandgaon district, Chhattisgarh, which has created over 60,000 water-conservation and recharge structures in 662 villages and raised groundwater levels by about 2.04 m on average.
Summary
Under the nationwide #CatchTheRain campaign, Rajnandgaon's Mission Jal Raksha uses GIS mapping, remote sensing, aquifer mapping, Digital Elevation Models and ridge-to-valley planning to pick recharge sites. Defunct borewells have been turned into recharge shafts, and mini percolation tanks have been linked to deep injection wells so rainwater reaches deep aquifers in hard-rock terrain. Outcomes include 60,000+ structures across 662 villages, 500+ borewells converted into recharge shafts, 600+ injection wells with 1,700+ mini percolation tanks, 2,500+ geo-tagged water bodies, over 51 lakh person-days of employment and an average groundwater rise of about 2.04 m. Nearly 70% of summer paddy area has shifted to less water-intensive crops.
Key facts
- District
- Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh
- Campaign
- Jal Shakti Abhiyan – Catch the Rain
- Structures
- 60,000+ in 662 villages
- Borewells converted
- 500+ into recharge shafts
- Groundwater rise
- About 2.04 m on average
- Crop shift
- ~70% of summer paddy to less water-intensive crops
- Employment
- 51 lakh+ person-days
Practice MCQs 2 questions
'Mission Jal Raksha', highlighted by the Jal Shakti Ministry in July 2026 for groundwater recharge, belongs to which district?
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Correct answer: A — Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh
Mission Jal Raksha is an initiative of Rajnandgaon district in Chhattisgarh under the Catch the Rain campaign.
Consider the following outcomes reported for Rajnandgaon's Mission Jal Raksha (July 2026): 1. Over 60,000 water conservation and recharge structures in 662 villages. 2. An average groundwater-level rise of about 2.04 m. 3. Complete ban on summer paddy cultivation in the district. Which of the statements given above are correct?
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Correct answer: C — 1 and 2 only
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. There was no ban; nearly 70% of summer paddy area voluntarily shifted to less water-intensive crops.