Sindhudurg, Oct 2026: Maharashtra Fisheries and Ports Minister and Sindhudurg District Guardian Minister Nitesh Rane has called for collective public participation in water conservation initiatives to prevent future generations from facing drought-like conditions.
Emphasising the need to strengthen water conservation efforts in the district, Rane said the administration was working effectively to address challenges arising from natural disasters, but citizens must also actively participate in these initiatives.
The construction of a Vanrai bund was inaugurated at Harkul Budruk village in Kankavli taluka in the presence of Rane. The Guardian Minister personally participated in the construction work through voluntary labour.
The district administration has set a target of constructing 10,000 Vanrai bunds across Sindhudurg through public participation. Of these, 2,000 bunds are planned for Kankavli taluka. Elected representatives and officials present at the programme also participated in the voluntary labour initiative.
Rane stressed that the quality of construction was crucial to ensuring the effectiveness of Vanrai bunds. He instructed village development officers and Palakmitras to inspect the quality of the structures. He also called for the appointment of separate teams in every taluka to provide technical guidance and conduct quality inspections.
He emphasised that the objective should not be limited to constructing bunds but should also ensure that they are built properly and contribute effectively to increasing water storage.
Describing the natural crisis confronting the district as unprecedented and severe, Rane said the administration, citizens, elected representatives, villagers and various government agencies must work together to overcome the challenges.
He highlighted the importance of conserving rainwater, allowing it to percolate into the ground, protecting available water resources and preventing future water shortages. He urged people to expand community-led water conservation initiatives so that no future generation would have to face the hardship of drought.
‘Palakmitra’ Initiative to Strengthen Water Conservation
The Palakmitra initiative conceptualised by District Collector Trupti Dhodmise is expected to play an important role in providing technical guidance and coordination for water conservation activities at the village level.
Under the initiative, Palakmitras will coordinate between government departments and villagers to accelerate the construction of Vanrai bunds and Jaltara structures.
Information about the Vanrai bunds and Jaltara structures being developed across the district will also be collected through the ‘Sindhu Pahani’ mobile application, helping the administration monitor the progress of the works.
Rane said the district administration was implementing the water conservation campaign effectively and appealed to citizens to complement these efforts through active public participation. He added that if every village took the initiative to conserve the water resources available in its surroundings, the district’s water security could be strengthened further.
Zilla Parishad President Pramod Kamat, Chief Executive Officer Dr Apurva Basur, Kankavli Panchayat Samiti Chairperson Harshada Walke, Sub-Divisional Officer Jagdish Katkar, Tehsildar Dikshant Deshpande, Block Development Officer Arun Chavan, Sarpanch Anand Thakur, along with other officials, public representatives and villagers, were present on the occasion.
