Ministry of Jal Shakti to organise ‘Jal Itihas Utsav’ in Delhi

New Delhi: To raise public consciousness about safeguarding water heritage sites, creating a sense of ownership among the masses as well as promote tourism and restoration of such heritage structures, the Ministry of Jal Shakti will organise ‘Jal Itihas Utsav’ at Shamsi Talab, Jahaz Mahal situated in Mehrauli, Delhi on December 1st.

Lt. Governor of Delhi Vinai Kumar Saxena, Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat would attend the event, said a statement from the Jal Shakti Ministry.

The event marks the culmination of “Water Heritage Fortnight” being celebrated in various districts across the nation from November 15, 2023 to November 30, 2023, at 75 ‘Natural Water Heritage Structures’ and also marks the successful completion of the ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain' 2023 nationwide campaign.

The restoration work of the Shamsi Talab, Jahaz Mahal in Mehrauli adequately reflects the convergence of various Departments of Central and State Government. Cleaning up of the talab and levelling/cleaning of the park etc. have been undertaken with the help of the Archeological Survey of India and Municipal council of Delhi (MCD), the statement read.

The same has been documented in the form of an e-book which would be launched during the event. Further, a short video on the "Jal Itihas Journey", which showcases the 75 identified Water Heritage sites, will be shown during the event. Also, a musical event “Flowing Strings” will be presented by world-renowned violinist Ms Sunita Bhuyan at the event.

To conserve the nation’s heritage water structures, Ministry of Jal Shakti had constituted a Committee under the Chairmanship of R R Mishra, Ex-DG, National Mission of Clean Ganga (NMCG) to identify 75 ‘Natural Water Heritage Structures’ all over the country as a part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The Committee selected 75 Water Heritage Structures which are showcased on the Jal Itihaas Sub-Portal on India-WRIS Portal (https://indiawris.gov.in/wris/#/jalitihaas).

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has successfully implemented the ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain' 2023 throughout the country with the theme “Source Sustainability for Drinking Water,” the statement added.