A AKHTER / NEW DELHI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today exhorted people to start a mass movement for water conservation and resolve to save every drop of water amidst water scarcity in several parts of the country. He said an awareness campaign should be started which should not only focus on water-related problems but also propagate ways to save water.
Mr Modi was addressing the nation for the first time after resuming office for the second term through Mann Ki Baat programme on All India Radio. He said, society must be united in this endeavour and people belonging to social and cultural organizations should lead this movement in their own fashion.
Prime Minister Modi also requested the people to share traditional methods that have been in use over the centuries for the conservation of water. He asked the people to pay a visit to Porbandar to see a 200-year-old water tank which is still capable of storing water and has a mechanism to harvest rain water.
Mr Modi also requested the people to share the information concerning people who are making significant contributions towards water conservation. He urged people to use #JanShakti4JalShakti hashtag to share their content on the matter.
Listing the initiatives taken by the people for water conservation in many parts of the country, the Prime Minister said there cannot be a single formula for dealing with water crisis throughout the country. He said, water scarcity affects many parts of the country every year and it is surprising that only eight percent of rainwater is harvested.
Keeping the importance of water in mind, Mr Modi added that a new Jal Shakti ministry has been created in the country to allow faster decision-making on all subjects related to water. He said he wrote letters to all the Sarpanchs and Gram Pradhans asking them to convene a meeting of the Gram Sabhas and discuss the solution to water problem with the villagers.
Saying that water is of great importance in Indian culture, Prime Minister quoted Rigveda’s Apah Suktam.
Talking about International Day of Yoga which was celebrated recently, Mr Modi said awareness about Holistic Health Care has enhanced the glory of Yoga. He highlighted that Yoga has assumed such an iconic form that over the Himalayas, across the Indian Ocean, from air-force to aircraft carriers, from air-conditioned gyms to hot desert and from villages to cities – yoga was not just practised but also celebrated collectively.
He stressed that healthy and sensitive denizens are required to build a healthy society and Yoga ensures this very principle. Mr Modi said the promotion of Yoga is a great example of social service. He cited examples where Yoga training is being imparted in Japan, Italy and many other countries.