National Water Security Initiative Launched Under MGNREGA

30 Sep 2025 CW Team

Union Ministers Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Shri Chandrakant Raghunath Patil jointly launched the ‘National Initiative on Water Security’ at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi. Union Minister of State Shri Kamlesh Paswan, Rural Development Secretary Shri Shailesh Singh, and senior officials attended, while representatives from rural blocks and district magistrates participated virtually.

Shri Chouhan said that under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s guidance, water security has become a national priority under MGNREGA. Amendments to the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Act, 2005, now give precedence to water-related works in water-stressed rural blocks, making a minimum expenditure on water conservation and harvesting mandatory.

He noted that groundwater levels are continuously depleting and water has become one of the globe’s biggest challenges. Prime Minister Modi has led initiatives such as ‘Catch the Rain’, rainwater harvesting drives, and the construction of ‘Amrit Sarovars’ to emphasise the importance of water conservation.

Under the new policy:

In ‘over-exploited’ blocks, 65 per cent of MGNREGA funds will be used for water-related works.
In ‘semi-critical’ blocks, 40 per cent will go towards water conservation.
Even in blocks without water scarcity, at least 30 per cent of funds will be allocated to water initiatives.

Shri Chouhan highlighted that prioritising MGNREGA resources for water conservation will boost groundwater recharge and promote long-term sustainable water management.

Shri Patil added, “From the Rs 880 billion MGNREGA budget, 65 per cent will be directed to ‘dark zone’ districts, 40 per cent to ‘semi-critical’ districts, and 30 per cent to other districts for rainwater harvesting. This historic step will be vital for water security and rural development, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rural Development Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan.”

Infrastructure Urban

02 Jun 2026

VECV Sales Rise 7.8 Per Cent In May 2026

VE Commercial Vehicles recorded sales of 7,978 units in May 2026, compared to 7,401 units in May 2025, registering growth of 7.8 per cent. This included 7,789 units from the Eicher brand and 189 units from the Volvo brand.Eicher branded trucks and buses reported sales of 7,789 units during the month, up 7.3 per cent from 7,258 units a year earlier. In the domestic commercial vehicle market, Eicher sales rose 9.1 per cent to 7,375 units from 6,758 units in May 2025.Exports declined 17.2 per cent to 414 units from 500 units in the corresponding month last year. Volvo Trucks and Volvo Buses recor..

Table Space Strengthens DESYN Leadership Team

Table Space has announced strategic leadership appointments within DESYN, its integrated Design and Build business, as it looks to strengthen operations across key enterprise and GCC markets in India. DESYN was launched as a strategic extension of Table Space’s workspace solutions portfolio to meet rising demand for agile, high-quality and rapidly deployable enterprise workspaces.Shruti Ookabhoy has joined DESYN as Executive Director and will lead the Design vertical, focusing on design capability, operational excellence and team development across markets. She brings over 22 years of experi..

Concord Associate Bags Rs 2.79 Bn Kavach Order

Concord Control Systems said its associate company, Progota India, has received a Rs 2.79 bn domestic order from Indian Railways for the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of on-board Kavach 4.0 loco equipment.The order is scheduled for execution within 12 months and strengthens Concord’s role in India’s railway safety and signalling ecosystem. Kavach is India’s indigenous automatic train protection system, designed to improve operational safety by helping prevent signal passing at danger and reducing collision risks.Gaurav Lath, Joint Managing Director, Concord Control Syst..