Gujarat's flagship water conservation programme, Sujalam Sufalam Jal Abhiyan, has added 20,789 lakh cubic feet of water storage capacity in the current year, pushing the cumulative eight-year total to a record 1,38,039 lakh cubic feet, Water Resources and Water Supply Minister Ishwarsinh Patel announced on Monday, 29 June 2025. The minister made the disclosure in Gandhinagar, highlighting the programme's expanding scale and cross-departmental reach.

Key Developments This Year

The 2025 edition of the campaign was launched statewide on 23 February in Gandhinagar by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. By May, a total of 13,315 works had been completed across multiple government departments through coordinated implementation.

These works comprised 2,450 pond-deepening projects, 3,661 check dam desilting works, and 1,160 check dam repair works. Additionally, canals spanning 626 kilometres and drains stretching 1,277 kilometres were cleaned as part of this year's drive. The combined interventions also generated approximately 2.30 lakh man-days of employment.

Eight-Year Cumulative Impact

Since the programme's inception, a total of 1,23,635 works have been undertaken. These include 39,770 pond-deepening and pond-creation works, 26,873 check dam desilting works, and 7,810 check dam repair works. Canal and drain cleaning over the period has covered 80,793 kilometres.

According to official figures, the cumulative storage capacity addition stands at 1,38,039 lakh cubic feet, while the programme has cumulatively generated 206.73 lakh man-days of employment — underscoring its dual role as both a water security and rural livelihood initiative.

How the Programme Is Implemented

The Jal Abhiyan is executed through coordination among six departments: Water Resources, Water Supply, Forest and Environment, Urban Development, Rural Development, and Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL). Works are carried out via public participation, the MGNREGA scheme, and direct departmental execution.

Minister Patel described the initiative as 'a significant public movement through participation of citizens,' aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's national 'Catch the Rain' campaign. The programme's design — combining infrastructure creation with community ownership — has been cited by the state government as central to its sustained impact on groundwater recharge.

Why It Matters

Gujarat has historically faced acute water stress, particularly in its semi-arid northern and Saurashtra regions. Programmes like Sujalam Sufalam Jal Abhiyan are designed to address seasonal water scarcity by maximising storage during monsoon months and improving year-round groundwater availability. This is the eighth consecutive year of the initiative, making it one of the longest-running state-level water conservation campaigns in India. The scale of canal and drain cleaning — over 80,000 kilometres cumulatively — reflects an infrastructure maintenance push that goes beyond headline storage numbers.

The state government is expected to continue the programme into its next phase, with departmental guidelines for the post-monsoon cycle anticipated in the coming months.