Bihar Celebrates Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Diwas with Focus on Rural Environmental Sustainability

On 07 January 2025, the Rural Development Department organized the occasion of Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Diwas at the Convention Bhawan located in the old secretariat complex of the capital Patna. The topic of discussion in this program was 'Implementation of Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Abhiyan in rural areas'. Commissioner MNREGA Abhilasha Kumari Sharma welcomed the guests and highlighted the work being done for Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Abhiyan under MNREGA. On this occasion, Secretary of Rural Development Department Lokesh Kumar Singh addressed and discussed the Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Abhiyan and called for completing the target of the campaign on time. Rural Development Minister Shravan Kumar told the program that with the aim of protecting Bihar from the deepening threat of environmental imbalance, Honorable Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar unanimously started the Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Abhiyan on 2 October 2019. This campaign is being appreciated in the country and the world today. The Honorable Minister said that so far 17 crore 80 lakh saplings have been planted under this campaign. The awareness of the Honorable Chief Minister towards the environment has protected the environment of Bihar to a great extent. He said that the state has so far achieved the target of 17 percent greenery, which needs to be taken further and the national average of 33% target needs to be achieved. He called for planting at least one tree per family. Shri Shravan Kumar said that the initiative taken by Bihar in the construction of check dams has been adopted by the whole country. The Honorable Minister called upon the officers and workers and said that we have to achieve our goals with full dedication and never let the hope of the poor villagers be broken.

On this occasion, Jeevika Didi Manju Devi, Baby Devi and Babita Devi informed about the benefits being received from the schemes implemented in coordination with MNREGA, Jeevika and Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Abhiyan and the remarkable changes in their lives as a result of these benefits. Along with this, MNREGA program officials Rakesh Nandan Sinha and Kaushalendra Kumar also shared their experiences related to this campaign.

During the program, a short film related to Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Abhiyan was screened and an attractive picture exhibition was also organized, which showed the work being done under various components of Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Abhiyan. Mission Director of Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Abhiyan Pratibha Rani sent a vote of thanks.

Secretary of Rural Development Department, Lokesh Kumar Singh, Commissioner MNREGA, Abhilasha Kumari Sharma, Mission Director of Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Abhiyan Pratibha Rani, Deputy Mission Director, Ram Kumar Poddar, Additional Secretary of Rural Development Department, Nand Kishore Sah, Chief Operating Officer of Bihar Rural Development Society Sanjay Kumar Singh, besides officials of Rural Development Department and other departments associated with Jal-Jeevan Hariyali Abhiyan were present in this program.

It is noteworthy that Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Abhiyan was started on 2 October 2019 by Hon'ble Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar with the aim of developing a clean and better environment in the state. Under this campaign, 11 components are being implemented in coordination with 15 departments. Rural Development Department is the nodal department of this campaign.