Panchkula (Haryana) [India], March 25 (HBTV): Union Minister of Jal Shakti C.R. Patil on Saturday launched the nationwide campaign Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain-2025 at Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula, Haryana.

Addressing the gathering after inaugurating the programme, Patil said that to ensure Haryana receives its rightful share of water, a meeting with the Chief Ministers of the concerned states would be held in the coming days to resolve inter-state issues.

‘Once these issues are resolved, Haryana will receive the water it is entitled to,’ he said.

On this occasion, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Shruti Choudhry were also present.

The Union Minister stated that to promote water conservation and storage, Saini had outlined various programmes in the state budget for 2025-26.

Patil said that Haryana is a progressive state that depends on other states for its water supply and receives less rainfall. Given this, both the government and citizens must take proactive steps to prevent water shortages in the future. He emphasised that with public participation, both the central and state governments would work together to address water scarcity in Haryana.

The Union Minister further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had advocated for making water conservation a people’s movement, and the event was a reflection of that vision.

‘The need of the hour is to save water because water cannot be created. Future generations will judge us based on how well we conserve water today. To secure water for the future, we need to develop better storage plans and experiment with various conservation methods,’ he said.

He also mentioned that during a virtual meeting in Surat, Modi stressed that water conservation and public participation should be transformed into a mass movement. Patil said he had spoken to traders from Haryana residing in Surat, and they had pledged to contribute resources towards water conservation efforts in Haryana’s villages in the coming days.

The Union Minister stated that due to the Prime Minister’s leadership, the growing water scarcity problem had been mitigated. He noted that under Modi’s leadership, 25 lakh women across the country were trained to check the quality of drinking water in their villages and homes, and they were provided with testing kits.

‘However, during the 70 years of Congress rule, there was never a need to train anyone, as the government never provided water to people's homes. Women had to fetch water from distant places, and the water was often not even fit for drinking. It was impossible for them to be concerned about the quality of the water,’ he said.

He added that under the Jal Jeevan Mission, the Har Ghar Jal scheme ensures the supply of 55 litres of water per person per day.

‘If groundwater is completely depleted, there will be no water left for future generations. It is essential to store rainwater,’ Patil said.

Concluding the event, the Union Minister reiterated the Prime Minister’s vision that water for villages should remain in the village, and water for fields should remain in the fields. He stated that the Ministry of Jal Shakti had developed specific designs for this purpose, which would also be implemented in Haryana.

Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, Secretary of the Ministry of Jal Shakti Ashok Meena, Chairperson of Haryana Water Resources Authority Keshni Anand Arora, MP Kartik Sharma, MLA Shakti Rani Sharma, Haryana BJP State President Mohan Lal Badoli, Panchkula Mayor Kulbhushan Goyal, former Speaker of Haryana Vidhan Sabha Gian Chand Gupta, and other officials and dignitaries were also present at the event.

(ANI)