Union Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Dr Pemmasani Chandrasekhar has called upon people to harvest rainwater and strengthen rural livelihoods. He inaugurated the two-day National Conference on Watershed Mahotsav in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, today. Speaking at the event, Dr. Chandrasekhar said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, several welfare and development schemes are being effectively implemented. He emphasised that water security is national security, and the Centre is promoting watershed projects to conserve water and boost productivity. He stated that from 2021 to 2026, the Watershed 2.0 programme, with an outlay of ₹13,000 crore, is being implemented across the country. Each year, 25,000 ponds will be rejuvenated.

 

 

Proper use of water can increase productivity sixfold, raise groundwater levels by three metres, and help farmers grow two to three crops annually, he said. At Vengalayapalem, as part of the Mahotsav, a 21-acre Amrit Sarovar tank has been developed into a scenic area with gardens, a walking track, and play spaces for children. Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Department of Land Resources, said the government is funding water conservation efforts nationwide with support from voluntary organisations, and praised states showing rapid progress. A book titled “Ensuring Water Security, Nurturing Wasteland, Empowering Rural Livelihoods – Rajasthan” was also released on this occasion.