The Bihar government, under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is taking significant and long-term steps to maintain groundwater levels. The Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali campaign, implemented by the Panchayati Raj Department, has begun to show positive results through the renovation of wells and the construction of soak pits. This water conservation initiative in villages is not only setting an example for environmental protection but also building a strong foundation to address water scarcity in the coming years.
A target of renovating a total of 25,466 wells was set across the state, of which work on 25,254 wells has been completed. This represents a unique achievement of over 99 percent. The re-use of these wells has improved the availability of water for irrigation in rural areas. The government has also achieved notable success in the field of soak pit construction. A target of constructing 19,542 soak pits near the wells was set, of which 18,895 have been built so far. Nalanda district led the campaign, with the construction of all 1,939 planned soak pits.
Several districts, including Arwal, Aurangabad, Begusarai, Lakhisarai, and Madhepura, have exceeded their targets, demonstrating the increasing public participation in water conservation in the state. According to officials from the Panchayati Raj Department, there has been unprecedented awareness among people about water conservation in villages. The government aims to establish a robust water conservation system in each panchayat to prevent any future water crisis.
District-wise soak pit construction figures are 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.