Union Minister of Jal Shakti C R Patil on Tuesday interacted with District Collectors and District Development Officers from 124 over-exploited and critical districts, as identified in the 2024 national groundwater assessment, to review progress on water conservation initiatives. Ministers of State V. Somanna and Dr Raj Bhushan Choudhary also attended the meeting, along with Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, V L Kantha Rao, and senior officials from the Ministries of Jal Shakti and Rural Development. The review centred on Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) 2.0, which targets the creation of one crore artificial recharge and water storage structures by 31 May 2026. The Minister stressed the need to accelerate conservation works in water-stressed districts to strengthen long-term water security and ensure sustainable groundwater sources. Patil noted that 65 per cent of MGNREGA funds in over-exploited and critical blocks have been earmarked for water-related works. He added that 15 additional water conservation and groundwater recharge activities have now been permitted under MGNREGA exclusively for over-exploited, critical and semi-critical districts. These include recharge shafts, injection wells, filtration ponds, artificial wetlands, renovation of traditional water bodies and spring collection chambers. District administrations were advised to use scientific feasibility maps prepared by BISAG, leverage technical support from the Central Ground Water Board, and ensure convergence across schemes for faster execution. Collectors were urged to prioritise measurable outcomes and adhere to timely reporting. Top-performing districts under JSJB 2.0—Banaskantha in Gujarat, Salem in Tamil Nadu and Barmer in Rajasthan—shared best practices, highlighting strong community participation, scientific planning and rapid implementation. The Ministry reiterated that JSJB 2.0 follows a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, aiming to scale up water conservation efforts nationwide through active public participation.