The Ministry of Jal Shakti has dismissed recent social media claims alleging manipulation in the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) Awards, stressing that the evaluation is based entirely on verified entries from the JSJB Dashboard.
Launched on September 6, 2024, the JSJB initiative aims to make water conservation a mass movement by mobilising communities, private partners, and government schemes to build low-cost water recharge structures such as rooftop rainwater harvesting systems, recharge pits, and revival of defunct borewells across urban and rural India. Implementation is supported through convergence with MGNREGA, District Mineral Funds, CAMPA, CSR initiatives, philanthropy, and community participation.
All projects are monitored via the JSJB Dashboard using GIS coordinates, geo-tagged photographs, and financial tracking. Entries undergo multi-tier scrutiny, with at least 1% of works independently field-verified while the remaining 99% are desk-verified to ensure accuracy. Incentives awarded are required to be reinvested into water conservation efforts.
The Ministry clarified that social media claims linking awards to AI-generated images, duplicates, or misrepresented small pits are misleading. These images were from the separate Catch the Rain (CTR) portal and were never part of JSJB award submissions. Any minor discrepancies on the CTR portal were addressed locally by district authorities.
“The JSJB Awards evaluation relies exclusively on verified JSJB Dashboard entries,” the Ministry said, underlining that misinformation undermines public trust, demoralises field officers, and threatens India’s water security initiatives.
The JSJB initiative continues to encourage voluntary participation, corporate social responsibility contributions, and community engagement, reinforcing India’s mission for sustainable water management.
Source – sarkaritel.com
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