MoHUA National Dialogue on Catch the Rain with 75 AMRUT SAM Cities
UPSC / SSC current affairs note · IR
Why in news
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) held a national dialogue with 75 cities implementing the Shallow Aquifer Management (SAM) programme under the 'Catch the Rain' campaign. Cities like Nagpur, Vizianagaram, Bhubaneswar, and Korba shared encouraging results, highlighting progress in urban groundwater recharge and climate resilience.
Background
The 'Catch the Rain' campaign is a nationwide initiative to promote rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge. Under AMRUT, the SAM programme provides scientific planning and technical assistance to cities for improving groundwater recharge. This dialogue was organized by MoHUA in collaboration with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).
Key facts
MoHUA organized a national dialogue with 75 AMRUT Shallow Aquifer Management (SAM) cities under the 'Catch the Rain' campaign.
The dialogue was chaired by Additional Secretary Smt. D. Thara and conducted by Joint Secretary Smt. Esha Kalia.
Cities are adopting recharge methods: recharge shafts, injection wells, check dams, gabion walls, circular trenches, and modular recharge pits.
Korba announced plans to revive 95 defunct borewells after SAM intervention success.
Vizianagaram reported improvement in groundwater levels.
Nagpur committed to building 100 additional recharge structures during the current monsoon.
Bhubaneswar noted that SAM interventions helped reduce urban flooding through better stormwater percolation.
Experts emphasized community participation and local ownership for long-term success.
The dialogue reaffirmed MoHUA's commitment to sustainable groundwater management through scientific, nature-based, and community-led interventions.
The event advanced the goals of the 'Catch the Rain' campaign for water-secure and climate-resilient cities.
Prelims pointers
- MoHUA: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
- NIUA: National Institute of Urban Affairs
- AMRUT: Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation
- SAM: Shallow Aquifer Management
- Catch the Rain: nationwide campaign for rainwater harvesting
- Recharge structures: recharge shafts, injection wells, check dams, gabion walls, circular trenches, modular recharge pits
- Cities mentioned: Nagpur, Vizianagaram, Bhubaneswar, Korba
- Date of release: 20 July 2026
Mains angles
- Discuss the role of urban local bodies in implementing groundwater recharge under AMRUT SAM.
- Critically examine the effectiveness of 'Catch the Rain' campaign in addressing urban water security.
- Evaluate the integration of nature-based solutions and community participation in urban water management.