New Delhi: The Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal), India’s central sector water conservation scheme, will continue for an additional two years beyond its original 2025 end date, according to a decision made on Friday by the National Level Steering Committee (NLSC). The extension aims to make up for implementation delays due to covid-19 and to further community behaviour change initiatives.
Initially launched in 2020, Atal Jal is active across 8,220 water-stressed Gram Panchayats within 80 districts of seven Indian states, including Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. It has focused on driving community behavioural change towards conservation and smart water management.
Friday’s meeting saw the committee members review the project’s overall progress, urging state officials to accelerate all related activities. Special secretary Debashree Mukherjee emphasized the need for robust community capacity building and the integration of water security plans into Gram Panchayat Development Plans.
In addition to conservation efforts, the scheme also encourages innovative irrigation techniques to enhance water efficiency. Pankaj Kumar, Secretary of the Department of Water Resources, called on the states to map drinking water sources and study their sustainability.
The World Bank’s Practice Manager lauded Atal Jal for its significant role in promoting water use efficiency and pledged full support for the scheme. The scheme has already seen the adoption of various successful practices across the participating states, focusing on groundwater recharge and demand-side interventions.
Atal Jal also seeks to unite various line departments working on water issues to maximize resource utilization. The scheme plans to bring 450,000 hectares of irrigated area under efficient water techniques like drip irrigation and crop diversification. The project’s performances will be measured through pre-set targets, with states performing well eligible for additional funding incentives.
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