Nandyal district in Andhra Pradesh has significantly strengthened its water conservation infrastructure under the ongoing Catch the Rain Campaign, implementing more than 2,100 water conservation works and restoring thousands of rainwater harvesting structures to improve water security and groundwater recharge.
The campaign, being conducted from July 4 to August 4, 2026, follows the theme “Catch the Rain, Where it Falls, When it Falls” and focuses on conserving rainwater through the restoration of traditional water bodies, desilting feeder channels, reviving tank systems and creating additional storage capacity.
According to Jal Shakti Ministry, scientific planning has been carried out across all 489 Gram Panchayats in the district through field surveys, mapping of priority water bodies, watershed assessments and technical evaluations by concerned departments. Local communities and village elders have also been involved in identifying priority interventions, with proposed works placed before Gram Sabhas to ensure transparency and public participation.
Based on this planning process, the district identified, sanctioned and grounded 2,103 water conservation works, achieving 100 per cent grounding. The interventions are aimed at maximising rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and long-term water storage.
As part of the campaign, 2,691 kilometres of feeder and supply channels have been desilted and restored to improve the flow of rainwater into tanks and reservoirs. Restoration work has also been undertaken in 251 Minor Irrigation Tanks, of which 225 have been completed, while work on the remaining tanks is in progress.
The district has further strengthened its network of 22,221 farm ponds, 2,221 check dams and 202 percolation tanks, enhancing rainwater harvesting capacity and improving groundwater recharge across the region.
Technical assessments carried out by engineering departments estimate that the restoration of feeder channels and water conservation structures has helped recover 3.27 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of tank storage capacity. Newly created water conservation structures have added another 0.03 TMC of storage, increasing the district’s ability to capture and retain monsoon runoff.
The ministry said the additional storage capacity will improve groundwater recharge and ensure greater availability of water for agriculture, livelihoods and local communities, while enhancing resilience to climate variability.
The ministry said the district’s integrated approach—combining scientific planning, technical expertise and active community participation—has strengthened water conservation efforts and created sustainable outcomes under the Catch the Rain Campaign.
The initiative is expected to contribute to long-term water security by improving the efficiency of rainwater harvesting systems and reinforcing the district’s preparedness to conserve every possible drop of rainfall during the monsoon season.
