Raipur, Aug 19: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Wednesday launched ‘Srot Mahotsav 2026’ and a state-level workshop at Omaya Garden to draft a scientific, time-bound roadmap for preserving river origin points, catchment areas, and groundwater recharge systems across the state.

Addressing the inaugural session, Chief Minister Sai emphasized that rivers form the lifeline of Chhattisgarh’s culture, agriculture, and civilization. He outlined a five-pillar strategy for river conservation: scientific mapping, ecosystem protection, groundwater recharge, public participation, and time-bound action plans.

“Rivers sustain our life and civilization. To save water and secure our future, we must conserve our rivers from their origin points to their complete ecosystems by combining modern science, traditional knowledge, and community participation,” Sai said.

To strengthen institutional and technical capabilities, the state government signed two key Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) during the event. The first agreement, signed with the National Water Academy (NWA), Pune, focuses on capacity building and specialized training for water management officials. The second MoU, signed with Antrix Corporation, Bengaluru—the commercial arm of ISRO—will deploy advanced geospatial technology for scientific analysis and monitoring of water resources, starting with a pilot project covering 1,540 square kilometres in Kunkuri tehsil.

Chief Minister Sai also released a book titled Neer-Nari-Nidhi, highlighting water management innovations and women’s participation in conservation efforts. Water Resources Department Secretary Rajesh Sukumar Toppo noted that nine river group clusters are being evaluated to formulate site-specific and science-based solutions, while cGanga founder and IIT Kanpur professor Dr Vinod Tare urged stakeholders to integrate ancient water harvesting wisdom with modern space technology.