The Union Minister of Jal Shakti, C. R. Patil, and the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Vishnu Deo Sai, chaired a review of Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari 2.0 with the state’s district collectors. The National Water Mission, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti organised the meeting in collaboration with the Government of Chhattisgarh. Senior central and state officials attended and district level implementation plans were discussed.

District collectors from Durg, Bilaspur and Surajpur presented progress, innovative practices and community led conservation initiatives under JSJB 2.0. The presentations highlighted large scale mobilisation, scheme convergence and the focused implementation of low cost groundwater recharge structures. Officials noted increased local ownership and improved operational delivery.

Chhattisgarh secured the second position nationally during JSJB 1.0 by creating more than 0.4 million (mn) recharge structures in a short period and several districts were honoured for their performance. Under JSJB 2.0 the state has reported over 88,000 completed works and more than 42,000 ongoing works, showing sustained momentum. The meeting reviewed district wise data and urged continuation of the gains.

The review examined models such as the CREDAI Raipur low cost recharge scheme with Raipur Municipal Corporation and the Korea district five per cent model where farmers dedicated part of their land for rainwater recharge. Officials said that locally suitable, low cost measures backed by community participation can deliver meaningful groundwater recharge results. The models were recommended for replication.

The Chief Minister reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to intensify water conservation under JSJB 2.0 and to make district performance a benchmark for other states. The Union Minister emphasised the need to create adequate rainwater recharge capacity before the monsoon, urged optimal utilisation of MGNREGA funds before 31 March 2026 and called for focussed action in critical districts with regular monitoring and timely data uploads. Officials were congratulated and urged to accelerate efforts to set new benchmarks.