New Delhi, 5 February (HS): Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday inaugurated the Watershed Yatra based on the theme 'Jal Laaye Dhan-Dhanya' through video conferencing. Under the campaign, the Watershed Yatra van will run for about 60 to 90 days in 805 projects, which will reach 13,587 villages of 6,673 Gram Panchayats in 26 states and 2 Union Territories. During the Watershed Yatra, 1,509 Gram Sabhas will be organized and 1,640 Prabhat Feris will also be organized. Along with this, Bhoomi Pujan will be done at 2,043 places and 1,999 works will be inaugurated. Along with this, Shramdaan will be done at 1,196 places and horticultural plantation will be done at 557 places.

Regarding the Watershed Yatra, Chouhan said ,water is the basis of our life, if there is water then there is life. We are born from soil and merge with soil. Soil is our existence, our base. He said that due to the visionary thinking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Land Resources Department of the Rural Development Ministry of the Government of India is implementing the scheme of watershed development component under the PM Agriculture Irrigation Scheme for soil and water conservation. Many structures like check dams, bori bandhan, embankment, farm ponds will be built under this watershed. These structures will save water and also prevent soil erosion, surface water will also not flow away and the groundwater level will also increase. The filled surface water will increase the groundwater level in the surrounding large area. Moisture will be formed in the soil, the water holding capacity of the soil will increase. It is important that we join this scheme, the government alone cannot do this work, the cooperation of the society with the government is also very important. Every village, farmers, panchayats, public representatives, mothers, sisters, self-help groups have to be connected. For this, we have resolved to take out a watershed yatra. Chauhan said that this is not just a journey but a journey to save the earth.

Union Minister Chauhan said,this special campaign should be made a people's movement, everyone should join it. We should build water structures with the help of the public, make plans for soil conservation. During this watershed yatra, a public awareness campaign will be run to save water and soil and the works completed under the watershed will also be inaugurated and the ground breaking ceremony of new works will also be done. Along with this, a watershed festival will also be celebrated. Not only this, the watershed panchayat will also honor those who do remarkable work. This watershed yatra will promote water conservation and land conservation across the country. This yatra will also provide a platform to the rural people to save water and soil. On the occasion of the launch of this yatra, a public participation competition is being launched for the next 2 years. If we build better water structures with public participation, prevent land erosion, then the projects doing the best work will be given an additional prize of Rs 20 lakh. A provision of Rs 70 crore 80 lakh has also been made for this. Every year 177 projects will be benefited from this.

Union Minister Chauhan said, if both water and soil are not in good condition, what will be the condition of our lives? What will happen to our future generations? Our Prime Minister Modi ji is a visionary, he thinks about the next 50 years, 100 years, thinks about the future of the coming generations. What is the level of groundwater due to deteriorating environment? In many places, water has gone down to a thousand to one and a half thousand feet. A few years ago, rivers used to flow, wells used to have water till the top. Today, even the wells have dried up and the flow of rivers has also ended. We all have to think about how our generations will survive in the future. Water is the biggest issue in the world today. We have to save water, we have to fix the groundwater level. We have to save water, soil and our future generations too.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar