‘Groundwater Week 2026’ started in UP, Minister Swatantra Dev Singh encouraged to save ‘one lota water’

Yogi government has taken an important initiative by launching ‘Groundwater Week-2026’, linking water conservation with public participation in Uttar Pradesh. This campaign, which will run from 16 to 22 July, was inaugurated by Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh at Lohia Park Amphitheater Gomti Nagar. This year the main message of the campaign has been kept as ‘Resolve to conserve water, there is no alternative to it’, which clearly reflects the water saving policy of the state government.

In the program, Additional Chief Secretary Namami Gange and Rural Water Supply Department Anurag Srivastava inspired the students to be aware of water conservation and balanced use of groundwater. Jal Shakti Minister said that major needs of drinking water, irrigation and industries in Uttar Pradesh depend on groundwater, hence scientific management of groundwater is the biggest need of the hour. He said that the government is continuously working for rain water harvesting, groundwater recharge, rooftop rain water harvesting and conservation of groundwater resources. Through the Uttar Pradesh Ground Water Act, effective steps have been taken towards controlling groundwater exploitation and conservation of resources.

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Water conservation will have to be made a mass movement

Referring to the Central Government’s ‘Jal Sanchay Janbhagidari: Catch the Rain-2026’ campaign, the Jal Shakti Minister said that water conservation should not just be a government program but should become a people’s movement. He made the citizens pledge to save every drop of rain water, stop unnecessary groundwater exploitation, save one lota of water every day and plant ‘one tree in the name of mother’. Also announced to run special workshops and public awareness campaigns in 10 over-exploited cities of the state this year. This initiative will play an important role in improving the groundwater level in those areas where water crisis is increasing due to continuous exploitation.

The winners of the online groundwater quiz competition were awarded ‘School of Jalveer Samman’. Students who presented excellent water art were also honoured. During Ground Water Week, programs related to painting, debate, public dialogue and rain water harvesting will be organized with the help of schools, colleges, government institutions and social organizations across the state. At the end of the program, Dr. Rajesh Kumar Prajapati, Director of Ground Water Department, expressed his gratitude towards all the guests, Climate Discussion Organization, participants, teachers, students and supporting organizations.

These are the upcoming events

17 July: On the second day of Ground Water Week, from 10 am to 1 pm, an interaction will be organized with scientists, academicians, engineers, doctors and other experts at Ground Water Bhawan (SGWIC), Hariharpur, Shaheed Path, Lucknow. A joint discussion on water conservation techniques will be organized with industry representatives at Karam Safety Industry, Sarojini Nagar Industrial Area, Lucknow from 3 pm to 5 pm.

July 18: Various water awareness programs including ground water dialogue and painting, debate will be organized with the students under the joint aegis of Ground Water Department and the school at Creative Convent College Shantinagar Sarojini Nagar, Lucknow from 10 am to 1 pm. After this, from 3 pm onwards, the common people will be motivated to save water through street plays, water conservation messages and collective water conservation oath in Phoenix Mall, Gomti Nagar Extension, Lucknow.

July 19: From 10 am to 2 pm, an environment and cleanliness campaign will be run in selected 15 districts of Uttar Pradesh in collaboration with the NGO Climate Parivartan under the ‘One Day – One Hour – Together’ campaign, in which departmental officers, voluntary organizations, local citizens and students will participate. After this, street play, water conservation message and mass water conservation oath program will be organized at Lulu Mall Sushant Golf City, Lucknow from 3 pm onwards.

July 20: Water awareness activities like groundwater dialogue, painting and debate will be organized with students at CMS Gomti Nagar Extension, Lucknow from 8 am to 9 am. After this, a one-day workshop on water conservation and urban water security in urban areas will be organized under the joint aegis of State Clean Ganga Mission and Ground Water Department at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, Gomti Nagar Lucknow from 10:30 am. Experts, officials and representatives of various institutions will participate in it.

July 21: A virtual meeting will be organized from 11 am to 2 pm from Ground Water Bhawan (S.G.W.I.C.), Hariharpur, Shaheed Path, Lucknow. Innovation in groundwater management, successful initiatives of various sectors, community participation and challenges will be discussed in the meeting. This will include officials of the Ground Water Department, experts working in the field of water conservation and social organizations.

July 22: The closing ceremony of Ground Water Week-2026 will be organized at 9:30 am at Bhagidari Bhawan, near Sahara City, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow. State Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh will be the chief guest in the program and state ministers and senior officials will be present. In the ceremony, Ground Water Department, representatives of various departments, representatives of Gram Panchayats, voluntary organizations and students will participate and pledge to take forward the people’s movement for groundwater conservation.

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