Bhopal, March 19 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday extended greetings to the residents of state on the occasion of Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, which marks the beginning of Hindu New Year with Navratri and Gudi Padwa.

The Chief Minister offered prayers and sought from the Almighty – happiness, prosperity, and progress of the state, while also wishing for positivity, happiness, and peace in the lives of all the citizens.

“May all our resolutions be fulfilled in this new year, may prosperity come to every courtyard, and may the state scale new heights of progress—this is my heartfelt wish to the people of Madhya Pradesh,” Yadav wrote on X.

On the auspicious occasion, the Chief Minister is set to kick-start the third phase of the statewide ‘Jal Ganga Samvardhan’ (water conservation) campaign from the bank of River Shipra in Ujjain.

The campaign focuses on water conservation, rejuvenating rivers, and restoring traditional water structures like stepwells.

Marking the third year of the campaign covering both urban and rural areas, Yadav called on urban and rural local bodies to actively engage all sections of society in restoring wells, stepwells and rivers.

“Madhya Pradesh is the home of rivers; therefore, water conservation is both a responsibility and a tradition for all of us. In the past two years, we have all together transformed the ‘Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan’ into a powerful people’s movement at the national level. This year too, we must take the campaign forward with the same resolve and energy,” CM Yadav said.

The state government recently shared that over 3,000 water sources have already been rejuvenated in urban areas. Last year, more than 86,000 farm ponds and over 550 Amrit Sarovars were created in rural areas for water conservation, alongside the recharge of over 100,000 wells to improve groundwater levels.

For river rejuvenation, 57 major rivers and 194 polluted water bodies have been identified for treatment. A Gangotri Green Scheme has been initiated to support ecological development in the origin areas of nearly 145 rivers.

–IANS

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