12 February 2021

Introduction:

57,000 water structures under the “Jalabhishekam Water Conservation Campaign” were inaugurated by he Union Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh,on February 11, 2021 virtually from New Delhi.

Highlights

• These water structures were constructed in Madhya Pradesh.
• The Water conservation work is being carried in the Madhya Pradesh by the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan with participation of public in it.
• The conservation work will help to achieve the goal of water conservation and build a self-reliant Madhya Pradesh.
• The Defence Minister highlighted that the ‘Jalabhishekam’ Campaign is fulfilling the aim of ‘water for every farm and work for every hand’. The campaign would be helpful in the betterment of the villages.
• The campaign becomes significant in the light of climate change.

About Water Structure

• More than 57000 water structures were constructed during COVID times.

The construction work for the water structure was carried by linking it with the MNREGA scheme.

 National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005

• It is an Indian labour law and social security measure.
•  The act was passed with the aim to guarantee the ‘right to work’.
• The act was passed in 2005 by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
• The act seeks to enhance the livelihood security in rural areas.
•  It provides at least 100 days of wage employment in a financial year.
• It provides work to every household in which the adult members volunteer to do the unskilled manual work.
• The World bank termed this act in its World Development Report 2014 as a “stellar example of rural development”.
• The act is implemented mainly by gram panchayats.
•  Under the act, involvement of contractors to look after the labours is banned.

Significance of the act

• The act provides the economic security and create the rural assets.
• It also helps in protecting environment and empowering the rural women.
• The act guarantees 100 days of work this in turn reduces the rural-urban migration.
•  It also mentions the principles and agencies to implement it and list of allowed works.
• It has also mentioned the financing pattern, monitoring and other measures in order to ensure the transparency and accountability.