Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Union Minister for Rural Development, and Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, officially opened a restored water tank in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, on Tuesday, as part of the 'Watershed Mahotsav' celebration.
Accompanied by the Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications, Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, and the District In-charge Minister, Kandula Durgesh, Chouhan inaugurated the 21-acre tank. This reservoir, situated in Vengalayapalem in Guntur Rural Mandal, has been successfully revived at a cost of ₹1.20 crore.
Speaking to the media, Chouhan highlighted that the 150-year-old waterbody, which had fallen into disuse, has now been brought back to life. He extended his congratulations to the local administration for establishing a plantation of 250 coconut trees across a five-acre area, with the intention of using the resulting income to cover the waterbody’s ongoing maintenance. He praised this approach as an "ideal sustainable model."
The Minister also noted that the development included a walking track, an open-air theatre, and an open gym, which will facilitate cultural activities. He said: "This shows how a waterbody can be utilised for multipurpose activities."
Emphasising the importance of environmental stewardship, he said, "Water is life. There is no life without water, and there is no agriculture without soil. Conservation of both water and soil is essential." He went on to describe the watershed mission and the 'Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana' (Prime Minister's Agriculture Irrigation Scheme) as a significant benefit for water and soil conservation.
Chouhan pointed out that numerous waterbodies built under the watershed mission have helped recharge underground water and benefited farmers. He stressed: "Under the Watershed Mission, while the construction of new water sources is essential, we must not forget that our old water structures are our invaluable heritage. Adopting this model across the country, we will restore all such old water sources and make them usable again so that we can save water and ensure water security for future generations.”
A related event, planned as part of the National Watershed Conference organised by the Department of Land Resources (DoLR) under the Ministry of Rural Development, in collaboration with the Government of Andhra Pradesh, was cancelled due to Monday’s blast in New Delhi.
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