Bhubaneswar: Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Sunday also launched the ‘Catch the Rain’ awareness campaign as part of the nationwide water conservation initiative of the National Water Mission under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
The campaign aims to promote rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, and sustainable water management practices to build a water-secure Bhubaneswar.
The campaign was inaugurated by BMC Mayor Sulochana Das, Deputy Mayor Manjulata Kahar, Health and Sanitation Standing Committee Chairman Biranchi Narayan Mahasupakar, Additional Commissioner Shubhendu Kumar Sahu and local corporator Biplab Behera.
Students and local residents took a pledge to adopt sustainable water management practices and contribute to protecting water resources.
The initiative encourages citizens to install rainwater harvesting systems in homes, communities, and workplaces.
It also focuses on constructing recharge pits and shafts, reviving abandoned tube wells for groundwater recharge, restoring traditional water bodies such as wells and stepwells, and desilting ponds and reservoirs to enhance their water-holding capacity during the monsoon.
As part of the initiative, BMC has also stressed the need to promote green cover through Miyawaki plantation to strengthen environmental sustainability and water conservation.
The civic body further highlighted the importance of removing encroachments from major drainage channels to ensure the smooth flow of rainwater, reduce urban waterlogging, and improve the City’s resilience during the monsoon.
BMC stated that the collective implementation of these measures would help conserve every drop of rainwater and play a crucial role in creating a more sustainable and water-secure Capital city.
