Lucknow, Jun 21 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday directed officials to ensure that no drinking water crisis arises anywhere in the state and called for making water conservation a mass movement in view of weather uncertainty and the possibility of an erratic monsoon.
Chairing a high-level review meeting on weather conditions, monsoon progress, drinking water supply and groundwater conservation, Adityanath said every resident of the state should be connected with efforts related to water harvesting and conservation.
As per an official statement, the CM stressed that not a single drop of water should be wasted and asked officials to implement Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Catch the Rain” campaign more effectively through wider public participation.
The chief minister directed departments concerned to ensure uninterrupted water supply across the state and make advance preparations to deal with the possibility of below-normal rainfall. He said citizens should not face any inconvenience due to drinking water shortages.
According to the information shared during the meeting, the India Meteorological Department’s long-range forecast indicates that Uttar Pradesh is likely to receive below-normal rainfall during the southwest monsoon season of 2026.
Both eastern and western parts of the state are expected to witness deficient rainfall between June and September, while temperatures are also likely to remain above normal during June.
Adityanath directed the irrigation, panchayati raj, groundwater, Namami Gange, revenue and agriculture departments to prepare an integrated action plan.
He said water conservation initiatives should not remain confined to departmental programmes and must involve public participation. He also instructed officials to prevent dirty water from flowing into ponds and other water bodies and emphasised the conservation, cleanliness and regular maintenance of Amrit Sarovars.
The chief minister further said rainwater harvesting should be taken up in mission mode and government buildings should serve as model centres for water conservation.
During the meeting, officials informed the chief minister that efforts to improve groundwater recharge have yielded positive results. The number of over-exploited development blocks in the state declined from 113 in 2013 to 44 in 2025.
Groundwater recharge from various sources increased from about 30.59 lakh crore litres in 2017 to 35.79 lakh crore litres in 2025, while total annual groundwater recharge rose from 69.91 lakh crore litres to 73.39 lakh crore litres during the same period.
Officials also said the state has achieved its Sustainable Development Goal-6 target of bringing the groundwater extraction rate to 70 per cent.
The extraction rate stood at 70 per cent in 2025, while groundwater levels have improved in 361 development blocks over the past decade. Between 2021 and 2025, average groundwater levels improved significantly in 29 districts.
State ministers, including Surya Pratap Shahi, Swatantra Dev Singh, A K Sharma and Om Prakash Rajbhar, attended the meeting. PTI CDN MNK MNK
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