National Water Mission
National Water Mission is a mission launched by the prime minister of India in 2009 as a nationwide effort to tackle climate change. Its main objective is conservation of water, minimising wastage and ensuring a more equitable distribution both across and within States through integrated water resources development and management.
Significance
- Emphasizing water conservation and rainwater harvesting will help children understand the value of water.
- Priority given to the issue of water conservation will result in the adoption of an integrated approach to water management.
- The concept of “no or limited will water flowing out of the compound” will aid in improving soil moisture and rising groundwater table.
- It will reduce water gushing onto roads, damaging them, and will prevent urban flooding in urban areas.
Objective and Goals of National Water Mission
According to the mission document, the overall goal of the NWM is water conservation, waste reduction, and more equitable distribution both across and within States through integrated water resource development and management.
The mission’s five identified goals are as follows:
- Comprehensive public water database and assessment of the impact of climate change on water resources
- Encouragement of citizen and state actions for water conservation, enhancement, and preservation
- Attention has been focused on vulnerable areas, including overexploited areas.
- Increasing the efficiency of water use by 20%
- Promotion of integrated basin-level water resource management
Thrust Activities of Importance
- Aside from activities related to the identified strategies, some of the Mission’s important thrust activities will be: research and studies on all aspects of the impact of climate change on water resources, including water quality.
- Rapid implementation of water resources projects, especially multipurpose projects with carryover storage.
- Promotion of traditional water conservation systems; intensive groundwater recharge programme in over-exploited areas.
- Encourage the recycling of water, including wastewater.
Climate change’s impact on water resources
- The melting of the Himalayan glaciers.
- Drought conditions have prevailed in many parts of the country as a result of a lack of rainfall.
- Flooding is becoming more common as the intensity of rains increases.
- The impact on the quality and quantity of groundwater
- Rising sea levels have increased saline intrusion into coastal aquifers.
FAQ’s on National Water Mission
✅ When was National Water Mission launched?
The National Water Mission (NWM), which is overseen by the Ministry of Water Resources, is one of eight missions established as part of the National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC). The Prime Minister established the NAPCC in 2009 as a national effort to combat climate change.
✅ What is the aim of the National Water Mission?
The main goal of the National Water Mission (NWM) is water conservation, waste reduction, and equitable distribution of water across and within States through integrated water resource development and management.
✅ What is the meaning of catching the rain?
The National Water Mission’s (NWM) campaign “Catch The Rain,” with the tagline “Catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls,” aims to persuade states and stakeholders to build appropriate Rain Water Harvesting Structures (RWHS) suitable for the climatic conditions and sub-soil strata prior to the monsoon.
