Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has directed officials to prepare village-level presentations for local MLAs ahead of the launch of Phase 3 of the Jalyukt Shivar Yojana, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s flagship water conservation programme aimed at raising groundwater levels in rural Maharashtra. He said the scheme’s rollout will be formally announced on August 15, with a three-year action plan being drawn up for water-retention works across villages.
Jalyukt Shivar was first launched by the Fadnavis government in 2015 to make Maharashtra drought-free through check dams, farm ponds and stream-widening works, and was credited with sharply cutting the number of water tankers deployed in drought-hit areas. A second phase, Jalyukt Shivar 2.0, was rolled out under the Mahayuti government in January 2023 after being paused during the MVA government’s tenure. Fadnavis has said the upcoming third phase will focus on repairing existing water conservation structures alongside new conservation measures, as the second edition winds down.
The government maintains the scheme has benefited rural water availability, though its impact has also drawn scrutiny from independent assessments over the years.
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