The Prime Minister launched the " Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain" campaign on
the World Water Day on 22 March 2021. The historic MoU to implement the Ken Betwa Link
The project, the first project of the national perspective plan for interlinking of rivers, also
signed by Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh chief ministers at the event.
What
1. The campaign will be undertaken across the country in both rural and urban areas with
theme quot; catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls".
2. It will be implemented from March 22 to November 30 - the pre-monsoon and monsoon
period in the country.
3. It was launched as a Jan Andolan (public movement) to take water conservation at the
grass-roots level through people's participation.
4. It is intended to nudge all stakeholders to create rainwater harvesting structures suitable to
climatic conditions and subsoil strata, to ensure proper storage of rainwater.
5. The Ken Betwa link project agreement heralds the beginning of inter-state
cooperation to implement the vision of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to
carry water from areas that have surplus water to drought-prone and water deficit areas
through the interlinking of rivers.
6. This project involves the transfer of water from Ken to Betwa River through the
construction of Daudhan Dam and a canal linking the two rivers, the Lower Orr project,
Kotha barrage and Bina complex multipurpose project.
7. It will provide annual irrigation of 10.62 lakh hectare, drinking water supply to about 62
lakh people and also generate 103 MW of hydropower.