Painting & Quiz Competition Held at Government High School Chuchot Gongma to Promote Water Conservation on Independence Day.

Painting & Quiz Competition Held at Government High School Chuchot Gongma to Promote Water Conservation on Independence Day.
Chuchot, Leh | August 2026:
On the occasion of the 80th Independence Day, the Watershed Department of the Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (RDD&PRI), UT Ladakh, organised a Painting and Quiz Competition at Government High School, Chuchot Gongma, under PMKSY–WDC 2.0, as part of the Chuchot Micro-Watershed of the Chuchot–Thiksey Watershed Project.
The programme was organised with the active participation of the Block Development Officer (BDO), Naib Tehsildar, members of the Watershed Development Team (WDT), Chairman and Secretary of the Watershed Committee, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), school authorities and local stakeholders. Their participation reflected the importance of convergence and community ownership in implementing watershed and water conservation initiatives.
The programme centred on the theme “Stop the Drain, Catch the Rain”, highlighting the critical importance of rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, watershed treatment and judicious utilisation of water resources. The initiative also complemented the broader vision of “Sukha-Mukt Bharat” and “Viksit Bharat”, recognising water security as a foundation for sustainable development, resilient livelihoods and ecological sustainability.
Students enthusiastically participated in the painting and quiz competitions, demonstrating their creativity, knowledge and awareness of water conservation, climate change, watershed management and environmental protection. Through these activities, the students were encouraged to understand the value of every drop of water and to emerge as young ambassadors of water conservation within their families and communities.
As part of the Independence Day celebrations, a flag ceremony was also held at Amrit Sarovars developed under the watershed programme in UT Ladakh. The ceremony symbolised the convergence of national pride, community participation and the collective responsibility of conserving water and protecting the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.
Speaking on the occasion, Programme Officer, Watershed Department, Smt. Shenaz Tabassum, emphasised that watershed development in Ladakh goes beyond the creation of physical assets and seeks to establish water-secure, climate-resilient and sustainable rural communities. She highlighted the importance of involving schoolchildren, communities, SHGs and local institutions in building a sustained culture of water conservation and environmental stewardship.
She further emphasised that the message of “Stop the Drain, Catch the Rain” must translate into collective action at the grassroots level through rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, soil and moisture conservation, sustainable watershed treatment and community-led management of natural resources.
The programme reinforced the message that every citizen has a role to play in conserving water, with the younger generation having a particularly important role in carrying forward the culture of environmental responsibility. The active participation of students and community institutions demonstrated the growing awareness and ownership of watershed-based development at the grassroots level.
The event concluded with a renewed commitment by the Watershed Department, local administration, community institutions and stakeholders towards water conservation, ecological sustainability, climate resilience and sustainable rural development in Ladakh, in alignment with the larger vision of “Sukha-Mukt Bharat” and “Viksit Bharat.”
The programme conveyed a simple but powerful message: Stop the Drain, Catch the Rain—Conserve Every Drop, Secure the Future.