‘Catch the rain’ campaign

‘Catch the rain’ campaign

Subject :Environment

Section :Environment legislation and schemes

Context: Recent PM spoke about the Catch the rain’ campaign

What is the ‘Catch the rain’ campaign?

• On World Water Day (March 22), Indian PM launched a campaign named ‘Catch the rain’, under the Centre’s flagship Jal Shakti Abhiyan.
• Under this campaign, drives to make check dams, water harvesting pits, rooftop RWHS (rain water harvesting system), etc will be made.
• Other measures to be taken up with the active participation of people include –

1. removal of encroachments and de-silting of tanks to increase their storage capacity
2. removal of obstructions in the channels which bring water to them from the catchment areas, etc
3. repairs to step-wells
4. using defunct bore-wells and unused wells to put water back to aquifers, etc

• To facilitate these activities, states have been requested to open “Rain Centers” in each district.
• This centre acts as a technical guidance centre to all in the district as to how to catch the rain, as it falls, where it falls.
• Under the initiative, all water bodies in the districts are to be enumerated (checked with revenue records) and encroachments to be removed.