Chief Minister Mohan Yadav emphasised that citizens and public representatives must actively participate in the three-month Jal Ganga Samwardhan Campaign, focusing on cleanliness, conservation, and maintenance of water sources. He stated that continuous monitoring is being done at the government level, and work being undertaken at the village and city levels is being documented on a dedicated dashboard. Districts that show exemplary performance will be rewarded.
Dr. Yadav was reviewing the progress of the campaign on Saturday at Samatva Bhavan, his official residence. It was informed in the meeting that 1.06 lakh Jal Doots (Water Ambassadors) have been trained across the state to raise public awareness about water sources. Notably, the Jal Ganga Samwardhan Campaign began on March 30 and will continue until June 30.
Dr. Yadav sought updates on works being carried out under the campaign by departments including Panchayat and Rural Development, Water Resources, Narmada Valley Development, Forest, Public Health Engineering, Revenue, Urban Development and Housing, and the Madhya Pradesh Jan Abhiyan Parishad. District Collectors also joined the review meeting virtually. Dr. Yadav mentioned that he will personally visit different districts to inspect campaign activities.
He further directed the preparation of a list of architecturally significant water structures in the state. Such heritage structures with archaeological and tourism value should be integrated into conservation efforts. He instructed that cleanliness campaigns be conducted at ancient stepwells (baodis) in cities like Bhopal, Jabalpur, Sagar, and Ujjain.
The Chief Minister directed that students be educated about the importance of water conservation during school assemblies. The School Education Department, in collaboration with the Culture Department, should organize essay and speech competitions on water-related themes during festivals such as Ganga Dussehra and Akshaya Tritiya.
Dr. Yadav congratulated officials from the Balaghat district for constructing the highest number of farm ponds (561). The meeting revealed that 76,000 farm ponds have been constructed in the state using GIS-based tracking. Anuppur ranks second with 275 ponds and Alirajpur third with 216. Seoni district has done exemplary work in the construction of Amrit Sarovars (sacred reservoirs). The Chief Minister commended the collectors and officials of these districts.
Dr. Yadav engaged directly with District Collectors regarding their campaign efforts. In the Bhopal district, work has commenced from Kaliyasot, and old water bodies in Berasia are being cleaned. In Raisen, the Collector reported that boulder bunding is being done at the origin of the Betwa River in the village of Jhiri near Bhopal.
The Tikamgarh Collector mentioned encroachment removal and beautification of 70 ancient ponds and 10 baoris. In Shahdol, efforts are underway to preserve Taatapani, known for its hot springs. In Sagar, old structures are being recorded in revenue documents, and river rejuvenation efforts are ongoing.
In Gwalior, the Traders’ Association has set up earthen pots and chilled water coolers as public water points. Procurement centres are also offering refreshments like sharbat and chaach (buttermilk). In Rajgarh’s Mohanpura area, Israeli techniques of water use are being adopted. Updates were also shared about ongoing works in Ujjain at Gayakotha, Bawankund, and along the Panchkroshi Yatra route. The meeting also included information on plantation drives across various districts.