Maharashtra to relaunch Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan across 25k drought-prone villages

Those villages will be skipped where JSA projects completed between 2014 and 2019 had achieved the twin objective of tackling water scarcity and increasing ground water levels. Sources said, “For a re-look, JSA has to be seen in totality. So, we are taking it up across all short-listed drought-prone villages.”

Devendra Fadnavis, who was leading the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition government as the then CM, had launched the JSA in 2014 with the aim to make the state drought-free. Under the scheme launched in phases, 25,000 drought-prone villages were selected and various water conservation projects, such as building canals, bunds and ponds, and deepening and widening of existing water structures, were launched. Initially, the scheme received overwhelming response but a change of power saw the MVA shelving the project.

Soon after taking oath of office as the Deputy Chief Minister, Fadnavis directed the water conservation department to revive JSA.

Through JSA, 6.41 lakh works were completed in 22,586 villages between 2014 and 2019 and the total expenditure incurred was Rs 9633.75 crore. It may be recalled that a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) drew attention to irregularities in some works under JSA.

“Even after spending Rs 9,633.75 crore, the project has had little impact in achieving water neutrality and increasing ground water level,” CAG noted, raising objection to the “lack of transparency” and “lack of monitoring” which, it said, defeated its stated purpose of creating adequate water storage in villages.

CAG findings were based on surveys in 83 of the total 120 shortlisted villages.