State - 1 week ago

All Departments Must Actively Participate in Water Management Awareness Initiative – CM Devendra Fadnavis

0 5 min read

Launch of ‘Water Management Action Fortnight 2025’

Mumbai – In a significant step towards promoting water literacy, emphasizing the importance of water conservation, and implementing sustainable water management strategies, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis formally inaugurated the ‘Water Management Action Fortnight 2025’, organized by the Water Resources Department. Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar were also present on the occasion. CM Fadnavis urged all guardian ministers to actively participate in the programs held during the fortnight and ensure that actionable initiatives are implemented across their respective districts.

The ‘Water Management Action Fortnight’ will be observed from April 15 to 30, 2025, and was officially launched in the Cabinet Hall at Mantralaya. The event saw the presence of Water Resources Ministers Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil (Godavari and Krishna Basin Development Corporation), Girish Mahajan (Vidarbha, Tapi, and Konkan Basin Development Corporation and Disaster Management), Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif, cabinet members, Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik, Additional Chief Secretary Deepak Kapoor, Secretary Sanjay Belasare, and others.

CM Fadnavis unveiled the official poster of the Water Management Action Fortnight during the event. He emphasized that the campaign should aim to raise widespread awareness about the judicious use of water. While efforts are being made to address water-related issues for irrigation and non-irrigation purposes, these cannot succeed without the active participation of elected representatives and citizens. He called upon all government departments and stakeholders to ensure this initiative becomes people-centric and widely embraced.

Activities to be Conducted During the Water Management Action Fortnight:

April 15: Inauguration of the Water Management Action Fortnight 2025.
April 16: Training for Water Resources officials/employees and implementation of the e-office system.
April 17: Clean and Beautiful Office Day and promotion of Rainwater Harvesting.
April 18: Farmer and Water Users’ Association interaction sessions.
April 19: Resolution of issues related to land acquisition and rehabilitation; joint canal inspections.
April 20: Canal cleanliness drive.
April 21: Addressing complaints related to lift irrigation water permissions.
April 22: Action against unauthorized commercial and industrial water extraction.
April 23: Joint meetings/workshops by Water Resources and Agriculture Departments on crop pattern changes, productivity enhancement, and water planning.
April 24: Review of irrigation e-system, water tariffs, water bill assessments and recovery, and pending billing cases.
April 25: Dialogues and collaborative programs with universities, KVKs, and NGOs.
April 26: Auditing of actual water use by municipal corporations, councils, and gram panchayats; investigation into untreated sewage being released into dams and rivers without recycling.
April 27: Guidance on disaster management, especially regarding flood and asset protection.
April 28: Coordination with the Revenue Department for updating 7/12 land records in the name of the Corporation and removing encroachments before May 31.
April 29: Seminar/workshop on empowering Water Users’ Associations.
April 30: District-level workshops or women’s gatherings in the presence of Guardian Ministers, along with felicitation of engineers who implement innovative practices and conclusion of the fortnight.

This comprehensive schedule was shared by Minister Girish Mahajan, who oversees the Water Resources (Vidarbha, Tapi, Konkan Basin Development Corporation) and Disaster Management portfolios.