New Delhi, Nov 18: President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu presented the inaugural Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions to community-driven water conservation under the flagship ‘Catch the Rain’ campaign.
Abhishek Sharma, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir, was also felicitated for his visionary leadership in transforming Rajouri into a national model for groundwater recharge and sustainable water management.
The JSJB initiative, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 6, 2024, embodies the ethos of “Jan Shakti for Jal Shakti,” fostering a whole-of-society approach to combat water scarcity through artificial recharge structures and community participation.
Under Abhishek Sharma, Rajouri achieved remarkable milestones, including the geo-tagging and uploading of over 4,214 water conservation structures on the JSJB portal.
These encompass 132 Amrit Sarovars, 894 ponds, 510 bowlis (traditional stepwells), 2,270 rainwater harvesting tanks, and 408 dugwells, positioning the district as the national topper in Zone 5 (covering hilly and northeastern regions) and securing a ₹2 crore cash award earlier this year.
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