The Bihar government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is actively working to maintain and improve groundwater levels. As part of the Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali campaign, the Panchayati Raj Department has been implementing well renovation and soak pit construction projects, which are now demonstrating tangible benefits. This initiative, aimed at water conservation at the village level, is not only contributing to environmental sustainability but is also building a resilient framework to tackle potential water scarcity issues in the coming years.
A total of 25,466 wells were targeted for renovation across the state, and remarkably, 25,254 wells have been successfully restored. This represents a significant achievement, with a completion rate exceeding 99 percent. The revitalization of these wells has notably improved the accessibility of water for irrigation purposes in rural areas. Substantial progress has also been made in the construction of soak pits. The government aimed to construct 19,542 soak pits adjacent to wells, and currently, 18,895 have been built. Nalanda district has been at the forefront of this effort, completing the construction of all 1,939 planned soak pits.
Several districts, including Arwal, Aurangabad, Begusarai, Lakhisarai, and Madhepura, have surpassed their set goals, which is a testament to the growing public participation in water conservation efforts across the state. According to officials from the Panchayati Raj Department, villages are witnessing an unprecedented level of awareness and engagement regarding water conservation practices. The government aims to ensure the availability of a robust water conservation infrastructure in every panchayat, in order to proactively address and mitigate potential future water crises.
The district-wise distribution of soak pit construction projects is as follows: Araria-54, Arwal-335, Aurangabad-626, Banka-637, Begusarai-723, Bhagalpur-976, Bhojpur-640, Buxar-535, Darbhanga-513, Gaya-270, Gopalganj-800, Jamui-724, Jehanabad-606, Kaimur-401, Katihar-112, Khagaria-133, Kishanganj-41, Lakhisarai-188, Madhepura-127, Madhubani-95, Munger-811, Muzaffarpur-390, Nalanda-1939, Nawada-731, West Champaran-638, Patna-586, East Champaran-1707, Purnia-107, Rohtas-274, Saharsa-235, Samastipur-997, Saran-69, Sheikhpura-247, Sheohar-174, Sitamarhi-489, Siwan-631, Supaul-52, Vaishali-282.