Jal Shakti Mantralaya | 19 Jun 2019

National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD) has been shifted from the Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change to Jal shakti Ministry.

  • Move aims at consolidating administration and bringing water-related issues like conservation, development, management, and abatement of pollution under a single ministry.
  • National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD) is responsible for implementing the centrally sponsored national river conservation plan for all rivers across the country except river Ganga and its tributaries (as issues related to Ganga and its tributaries are taken up by National Mission for Clean Ganga).

Jal Shakti Mantralaya

  • The government has created a new Ministry called ‘Jal Shakti’ after merging Ministries of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation along with Drinking Water and Sanitation.
  • ‘Jal Shakti’ ministry will encompass issues ranging from providing clean drinking water, international and inter-states water disputes, to the Namami Gange project aimed at cleaning Ganga and its tributaries, and sub-tributaries.
  • The ministry will roll out the government’s ambitious plan (‘Nal se Jal’ scheme under jal jivan plan) to provide piped water connection to every household in India by 2024.