National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) launched a Water Conservation Campaign in Samba district.

DDM, NABARD, Surinder Singh, apprised the gathering that the bank has started this campaign with an objective to reach out to the rural communities to promote awareness about the importance of conservation, preservation, and the efficient use of water resources.

He added that the bank aims to cover around 200 villages across the districts which are vulnerable and water-stressed. Issues like rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and better agronomic and irrigation (more crop per drop) practices will be promoted.

As part of this initiative, NABARD has appointed Krishi Jaldoots. They would be selected from local farmers and individuals with a good grasp and knowledge of the problems of their respective areas. The jaldoots will interact with the villagers and spread awareness using various communication aids, including posters and pamphlets etc. They will also hold a “Jal Samvaad”, which is an interactive forum for group discussion focusing on water-related issues, and identifying best local practices and solutions to tackle them.

A resource mapping exercise will be conducted in the target villages. This will help identify key water structures in the villages, their existing status, renovation needs of existing infrastructure, and innovative solutions to address the water issues of the village. The locally generated information will be uploaded on a mobile app, developed by NABARD.

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