Catch the Rain Campaign: Decentralized Water Conservation

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Key takeaways

The Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain campaign was launched on 22nd March 2021 to promote rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge nationwide.
Under the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari initiative, communities across India have constructed over 1.55 crore artificial recharge and water storage structures.
An impact evaluation of 23 lakh structures under JSJB 1.0 estimated a total groundwater recharge of 2.43 billion cubic metres using 2025 monsoon data.
The campaign uses the 3Cs Approach standing for Community, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and Cost to build low-cost, decentralized water infrastructure.

The Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari: Catch the Rain (JSJB: CTR) 2026 initiative has significantly boosted India's community-led water conservation efforts.
It focuses on combining rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, and the revival of local water bodies into a single unified effort.

The Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR) campaign was officially launched on 22nd March 2021 to mark World Water Day.
It uses the core central theme “Catch the Rain, Where It Falls, When It Falls.”
This movement builds directly upon the earlier Jal Shakti Abhiyan, 2019, which covered 1,592 water-stressed blocks spread across 256 districts.
Its major objectives include promoting rainwater harvesting, recharging underground aquifers, rejuvenating traditional water bodies, developing watersheds, and expanding tree cover through public participation.
Key physical interventions involve setting up rainwater harvesting systems, recharge pits, and recharge shafts across private residences, institutional complexes, and public spaces.
It prioritizes restoring traditional wells, stepwells (baolis), local ponds, and dried-up borewells to strengthen subterranean water tables.
Desilting activities in local ponds and reservoirs help clear out accumulated mud, directly boosting monsoon water storage capacity.
Afforestation drives and ecological protection of catchment zones build long-term climate resilience and improve natural water retention.
The campaign converts water conservation into a widespread Jan Andolan (people's movement) by actively involving ordinary citizens, local bodies, schools, and non-profit groups.
District-level Jal Shakti Kendras (JSKs) act as local knowledge hubs, offering technical support and helping communities plan their water management projects.

Implemented from April 2024 to May 2025, this first phase encouraged communities to build low-cost water recharge structures suited to their local geography.
It relies on the Three Cs Approach, which stands for Community, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and Cost.
The model pulls resources from multiple existing schemes by following a combined Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society strategy.
This phase achieved remarkable results, helping construct over 10 lakh groundwater recharge units and reporting more than 27 lakh total artificial recharge structures.

Launched on 1st June 2025, this second phase expanded grassroots conservation work, placing extra focus on critical and over-exploited groundwater areas.
It concentrates on hyper-local, affordable recharge solutions, reviving natural water sources, and promoting strong local community ownership.
The top-performing teams and communities from phase 1 received official recognition during the 6th National Water Awards in November 2025.

Rolled out on 1st June 2026, this phase combines the JSJB model directly with the Catch the Rain campaign to strengthen long-term water security.
It combines funds and support from key schemes like VB-G RAM G, PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), CAMPA, and Finance Commission Grants.
Gram Panchayats, urban local bodies, self-help groups, youth teams, schools, and non-profits drive the project planning and ground execution.
A dedicated digital portal and mobile application ensure real-time project tracking, complete operational transparency, and public feedback.

This overall national effort builds on lessons from JSA 2019, which covered 1,592 water-stressed blocks across 256 districts.
It drives water conservation, watershed management, afforestation, and water body revival through nationwide public participation.
The government runs this nationwide drive every year, updating the central theme and key priorities to meet emerging water challenges.

Citizens and agencies have built over 1.55 crore artificial recharge and storage structures under the broader JSJB initiative.
An official impact study of 23 lakh structures built under phase 1 used rainfall data from June to December 2025 to confirm 2.43 billion cubic metres of groundwater recharge.

The 2021 campaign focused on 'Catch the Rain, Where It Falls, When It Falls', emphasizing scientific planning, mapping water bodies, and creating Jal Shakti Kendras.
The 2022 drive expanded interventions to revive traditional water bodies, protect spring-sheds, rejuvenate wetlands, and restore degraded rivers.
The 2023 initiative targeted 150 water-stressed districts under the theme 'Source Sustainability for Drinking Water' to protect local drinking water sources.
The 2024 phase adopted the theme 'Nari Shakti se Jal Shakti', empowering women's groups to lead pond desilting, borewell revival, and local tree planting drives.
The 2025 theme, 'Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari: Jan Jagrukta ki Ore', prioritized 148 districts using the 3Cs model to combine public awareness with multi-scheme funding.

The campaign shifts India away from central planning toward local, scientifically guided water management.
Combining community leadership, modern digital tracking, and traditional wisdom builds long-term groundwater security and climate resilience across rural India.