Goalpara DC Varnali Deka launched rain -harvesting programme 'Catch the Rain'

Goalpara: Goalpara Deputy Commissioner Varnali Deka on Wednesday launched in the district the Union Government's rain harvesting programme, 'Catch the Rain'.

In a solemn function arranged in the DC's office chamber, Varnali Deka launched this ministry of Jal Shakti sponsored programme and wished success of the initiative. Somnath Paul, Goalpara district youth coordinator of the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangthan (NYKS), along with the youth volunteers were present on this special occasion.

National Water Mission's (NWM) campaign 'Catch The Rain' with the tagline 'Catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls' is aimed to nudge the States and stakeholders to create appropriate Rain Water Harvesting Structures (RWHS) suitable to the climatic conditions and sub-soil strata before monsoon.

Under this campaign, drives to make check dams, water harvesting pits and rooftop RWHS, removal of encroachments and de-silting of tanks to increase their storage capacity; removal of obstructions in the channels which bring water to them from the catchment areas; repairs to step-wells and using defunct bore-wells and unused wells to put water back to aquifers are to be taken up with the active participation of people.

Under the 'Catch the Rain" initiative, all water bodies in the districts are to be enumerated, (checked with revenue records) and encroachments to be removed. The Union Government has involved NYKS for undertaking 'Catch the Rain' awareness campaign to cover 623 districts throughout the nation. The awareness generation phase of campaign will run from mid-December 2020 to March 2021.

NYKS will undertake this awareness building campaign through various IEC activities, which will include conducting education and motivational programmes, mass awareness campaigns, environment building including wall writing, banners and e-posters, knowledge competitions, demonstration activities like theme-based street dramas and skits, branding and popularizing the campaign by logos and printed IEC materials.