Jal Shakti Board

A. Who are we?

The Ministry of Jal Shakti was formed in May 2019 by merging the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. The Jal Shakti Abhiyan was launched by the Ministry of Jal Shakti in year 2019, as a campaign for water conservation and water security through a collaborative effort of various ministries of the Central and State Governments. The major focus of the campaign is on the districts and blocks that suffer water stress.

Jal Shakti team of National Law University Odisha has been constituted as per the direction of the Ministry of Human Resource Development as a part of its observation of Swachhta Pakwada. It came into action in June 2021. It is envisioned to provide safe and adequate quantity of prescribed quality water and harvesting rainwater or having its own rain gauge or rain recording system. Jal Shakti Campus also aims to completion of UN’s ensuring availability of water and its sustainable management and sanitation for all by 2030 and will also ensure that educating people and making the society aware of the need for water conservation.

B. Vision and Mission

Jal Shakti Board of NLUO was created with an intention to provide clean water at the campus and the adjoining rural areas and stop unwanted usage and wastage of the same. One of the major reasons of the creation of the team is to educate people and spread awareness about water conservation, minimal usage and reuse/recycling water along with waste disposal and management. The Board will work on five target intervention areas of Jal Shakti Abhiyan 2019 and ensure progress on these lines. They are –

• Rainwater harvesting
• Repairand desalting of water bodies
• Recharging and reuse of water
• Intensive afforestation
• Watershed

The Jalshakti team under the aegis of the Jalshakti Mantralaya acts a bridge between the authorities and the people and aims to help the University to create an action plan to conserve and preserve water resources. It intends to help out villages around the campus with water conservation, management and waste disposal too. With this aim the Board would be working with the nearby five villages namely: Dompada, Kushpangi, Naraj, Mundali and Amrendrapur. The Jalshakti team of NLUO also strives to educate people so that they are equipped with all the knowledge necessary to help themselves in the times of any crises that arise due to or with regards to water.

C.Team

Faculty Coordinator – Dr. Suvrashree Panda
Faculty Coordinator – Dr. Shubhanginee Singh

Student Members –

D. Activities

• Release of the Third Newsletter
  On 31^st January 2025, the third edition of the newsletter was released, focusing on diverse topics such as:
• Ganga Water Quality: Mahakumbh 2025 by Shailza Pandey
• Global Recognition At Davos 2025 by Sradhanjali Rout
• Arunachal CM Warns of ‘Water Bomb’ Threat from China’s Megadam by Stuti Nayantara Horo
• Guillain-Barré Syndrome Surge In Maharashtra Linked To Water Contamination by Soumya Tripathy
• Single Credit Course on Water Laws and Policy in India
  The Jal Shakti Board, NLUO, in collaboration with the Water Policy Centre, Aurangabad, successfully conducted its first single credit course on Water Laws and Policy in India: Sustainable Management on 11th, 12th, 18th and 19th January, 2025. The course provided participants with valuable insights into the legal, constitutional, and policy aspects of water governance in India and beyond. Experts from various backgrounds led sessions. Ms. Neha Tripathi introduced constitutional provisions and legislative competence, followed by Advocate Tejal Vakil’s discussion on judicial interpretation and the role of PILs in water law. The course explored the evolution of water rights and groundwater governance, led by Advocate Vakil and Dr. Rajesh Chandra, respectively. Dr. D. S. Chaskar provided insights into interstate water disputes, including the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, while Dr. Aditi Nidhi examined the Cauvery River Dispute as a case study on federalism and conflict resolution. The concluding sessions focused on international water law principles, including equitable utilization and the no-harm rule (Dr. Chaskar), and India’s transboundary water diplomacy, highlighting challenges and opportunities with neighboring states, presented by Mr. Neeraj Singh Manhas.The course was insightful and engaging, equipping participants with a comprehensive understanding of water laws, policies, and governance frameworks.
• Release of the Second Newsletter
  On 30th September 2024, the second edition of the newsletter was released, focusing on diverse topics such as:
• Reverse Osmosis: How Pure is Too Pure for Safe Drinking Water? by Surbhi Lakra
• The Assam Urban Water Bodies (Preservation, Conservation, and Protection) Bill by Namrata Bordoloi
• Water Crisis in India: A National and Global Concern by Alen Ekka
• The Dying River Ganga: Challenges and Conservation Efforts by Anand Meena
  This edition continued the board’s mission of disseminating knowledge and sparking dialogue on water conservation and management.
• Release of the First Newsletter
  On 30th August 2024, the Jal Shakti Board launched its inaugural newsletter. The edition featured:
• Union Budget 2024: Water-Related Highlights by Chandra Mauli Mishra
• World Water Week 2024 by Sneha
• The Importance of Recharge Wells by Siddharth Shankar
• The Cauvery Crisis: An Overview by Swaha Das
  This newsletter marked the beginning of a series aimed at raising awareness on pressing water-related issues and policies.
• World Indigenous Day Celebration:
  On 9th August 2024, the Jal Shakti Board, in collaboration with the Centre for Tribal Studies, celebrated World Indigenous Day with tribal students, faculty, and non-teaching staff. The event highlighted the significance of indigenous communities in water conservation and their sustainable practices. It was a vibrant occasion that fostered inclusivity and recognized the contributions of tribal knowledge to environmental stewardship.
• Online Guest Lecture on Climate Change and Water Resources:
  On 9th March 2024, the Jal Shakti Board organized an insightful online guest lecture titled “Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources.” The session featured Mr. Ranjan Panda, known as the Water Man of Odisha. Mr. Panda, the Convenor of Water Initiatives, Mahanadi River Waterkeeper, Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Ecological Security, and Founder of Youth4Water, shared his expertise on how climate change affects water resources and emphasized sustainable solutions for preserving them.
• Survey on Water Challenges in Brajbiharipur Village and Kathajodi River:
  On 17th February 2024, the Jal Shakti Board NLUO conducted a comprehensive survey in Brajbiharipur, NLUO’s adopted village, and along the Kathajodi River. Guided by the Government of Odisha’s Health and Water Department, the survey aimed to identify local challenges related to water supply, drinking water sources, and health impacts caused by inadequate access to clean water. This initiative highlighted the pressing need for sustainable solutions in these areas.

E. Links

Reach out to us on various social media platforms to keep yourself updated with the upcoming events which help us to stay connected.

Official Links –

Website of Ministry of Jal Shakti: http://jalshakti-dowr.gov.in/
Website of Jal Shakti Abhiyan: https://ejalshakti.gov.in/JSA/JSA/Home.aspx

Jal Shakti Board NLUO –

Facebook Page: https://m.facebook.com/Jal-Shakti-Board-NLUO-112111791130198/
Instagram Handle: https://instagram.com/jalshakti_nluo?utm_medium=copy_link

F. Contact us

Want to know us better? We couldn’t want anything more than to hear from you. Here’s the manner by which you can get in touch with us.

Faculty Coordinator, Jal Shakti Board NLUO –

Dr. Suvrashree Panda: +918934803369

Official Email Id: jsb@nluo.ac.in

Jal Shakti Board NLUO – Newsletter

• Newsletter January 2025
• Newsletter September 2024
• Newsletter August 2024