IAS Riju Bafna's dream for Shajapur: Water conservation, Maternal health services and economic empowerment

IAS Riju Bafna belongs to the 2014 batch of the Madhya Pradesh cadre and is currently posted as the collector of Shajapur district, MP. She was previously posted as the collector of Narsinghpur district. Additionally Riju has also held several administrative roles, including additional commissioner at the Bhopal Municipal Corporation.

With a dream for Shajapur’s holistic development, she is working on multiple areas, but water conservation is her priority. "Water conservation is one of my top priorities, given that this is a water-deficit area," she states.

Her leadership has already inspired action: under her guidance Madhya Pradesh Jan Abhiyan Parishad conducted sack tying campaign, students from Navankur Sanstha, Prasputan Samiti, and CMCLDP have implemented measures to stop drain water, improve soil compaction, and introduce water conservation practices on bridges and culverts.

Riju is known for her dedication and boldness. Beyond water conservation, she is also focused on improving the health of women and children in the district. "Improvement of Maternal health services is crucial to minimizing maternal deaths," she emphasizes.

Her ambitious bucket list also includes livelihood generation by setting up small-scale industries and improving functional primary education.