New model to strengthen women’s income through water conservation and livelihood activities
Published on: April 01, 2026
By: BTNI
Location: Rajnandgaon, India
The Panchayat and Rural Development Department of the district organized planning discussions with rural Community Level Federations (CLFs) under the State Government’s Mor Gaon Mor Pani campaign. The initiative, titled Nava Taria Aay Ke Jariya Abhiyan, aims to promote water conservation, groundwater recharge, and sustainable livelihood opportunities for women’s self-help groups through convergence of MGNREGA and the National Rural Livelihood Mission.
Integrated Initiative for Water Management and Livelihoods
The proposed campaign seeks to ensure proper management of water resources while directly connecting cluster-level women’s groups with income-generating activities.
For effective implementation across the district, detailed plans are being prepared for the construction of new ponds for each CLF along with livelihood activities linked to these water assets.
Meetings Organized at Surgi and Ghoshal
As part of the initiative, important meetings were conducted with Surgi CLF under Gram Panchayat Surgi in Janpad Panchayat Rajnandgaon and at Gram Panchayat Ghoshal under Kumarda Cluster in Janpad Panchayat Chhuriya.
Chief Executive Officer of Janpad Panchayat Rajnandgaon, Manish Sahu, and CEO of Janpad Panchayat Chhuriya, Horilal Sahu, participated in the discussions focusing on action plan preparation and site selection procedures. Women members of the CLFs actively took part in the meetings.
Pond Construction through MGNREGA
Officials informed that pond construction work under the campaign will be carried out through MGNREGA by Gram Panchayats and Janpad Panchayats. However, usage rights of the ponds will be transferred to the CLFs, enabling women to manage and operate livelihood activities independently.
Guidance was also provided regarding site selection using the CLART App, adoption of the Ridge-to-Valley concept, and approval processes through Gram Sabha resolutions to authorize women’s self-help groups.
Livelihood Opportunities Linked to Water Bodies
During the meeting, discussions were held on integrating multiple income-generating activities after pond construction, including:
- Fish farming
- Singhara cultivation
- Pokhara and lotus flower production
- Water-based productive enterprises
- Dhensh cultivation and allied activities
A proposal was also presented to install QR-code-enabled information boards at pond sites so that complete details of CLFs and livelihood activities can be accessed digitally through scanning.
Boost to Women’s Income and Self-Reliance
Officials stated that the campaign aligns with the objectives of the Mor Gaon Mor Pani initiative and the vision of a Developed India by strengthening women’s income and promoting self-reliance.
Women participants were given detailed information about livelihood enhancement opportunities and implementation strategies, and unanimous consent was achieved for successful execution of the campaign.
Women Show Leadership and Initiative
After learning about the program, women members showed keen interest in site selection and voluntarily stepped forward to lead the campaign by linking maximum livelihood activities with pond resources.
A similar meeting was also organized at Gram Panchayat Ghupsal under Kumarda Cluster in Janpad Panchayat Chhuriya, where CEO Horilal Sahu explained the campaign framework, site selection process, and pond-based livelihood opportunities. Women’s groups assured full cooperation for successful implementation.
Towards an Integrated Development Model
Through these meetings, a concrete initiative has begun in Rajnandgaon district to develop an integrated model combining water conservation and women-led livelihood promotion under the Nava Taria Aay Ke Jariya campaign.
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