Patna: Bihar’s ambitious Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Mission, launched to restore traditional water bodies and improve groundwater recharge, is now also becoming a source of sustainable income for women. Under the scheme, members of Jeevika self-help groups are engaging in fish and duck farming in rejuvenated public ponds across the state.
According to Mission Director Pratibha Rani, the inclusion of Jeevika members in the mission has ensured not only the maintenance of the restored ponds but also provided alternative livelihoods. “This mission is no longer just about water conservation; it’s creating micro-economies around natural resources,” she said in a statement on Friday.
The scheme entrusts the maintenance and management of the rejuvenated ponds to these women’s groups. Many are now running successful small-scale fisheries and poultry ventures, using the restored infrastructure.
The Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Mission is one of Bihar’s key environmental programmes, with implementation spread across 15 departments and 11 thematic components. Under Component-02, restoration efforts focus on traditional water bodies such as ponds, lakes, aahars, and pains. The restoration process includes desilting, creating inlets and outlets, planting trees around the periphery, constructing walkways, and building necessary access points like steps and ghats.
