Minister Silawat Participates in ‘Jal Ganga Sanvardhan’ Campaign near Kerwa Dam, Appeals for Water Conservation
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) : Madhya Pradesh’s Water Resources Minister Tulsiram Silawat actively participated in a shramdaan (voluntary labor) drive near Kerwa Dam on Wednesday as part of the ‘Jal Ganga Sanvardhan’ (Water Conservation) campaign. On the occasion, he urged all citizens to preserve every single drop of water and contribute actively towards water conservation efforts.
Minister Silawat said that to fulfill Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav’s vision, a statewide campaign is being conducted from March 30 to June 30 to rejuvenate rivers and lakes. The campaign includes large-scale initiatives for water source preservation, water conservation, and rejuvenation.
🔹 Community and Leadership Involvement
The event witnessed the presence of key public figures, including MLAs Bhagwandas Sabnani, Rameshwar Sharma, Vishnu Khatri, and Teerath Meena, along with Pramod Rajput, President of the Janpad Panchayat, Meera Tomar, village Sarpanch, renowned environmentalist Abhilash Khandekar, departmental officers, and a large number of local villagers.
Minister Silawat instructed officials to undertake beautification and deepening of water bodies and issued strict directives to immediately remove encroachments from all ponds under the Water Resources Department. He emphasized that the solution to the water crisis lies within the Jal Ganga Sanvardhan initiative.
🔹 Inspiration from Traditional Practices
Drawing inspiration from the Halma tradition of Jhabua district, where communities gather to work voluntarily for environmental causes, Silawat urged everyone to contribute at least one hour of voluntary labor in their daily lives for water conservation.
🔹 River-Linking Projects and Future Goals
He also spoke about the Madhya Pradesh government’s efforts to fulfill the river-linking vision of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The state is implementing major interlinking projects like Ken-Betwa and Parvati-Kalisindh, which aim to ensure water availability in water-scarce regions like Bundelkhand.
Minister Silawat announced that the state aims to increase irrigation coverage from 6.5 million hectares to 10 million hectares over the next five years.
He concluded the event by administering an oath to all attendees to protect and conserve water resources, emphasizing that the success of this campaign relies on the active participation of every citizen.