NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to join a mass movement to conserve water as to overcome the acute water shortage affecting several parts of the country.
In his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat, Modi emphasised on revival of traditional methods of water conservation and sharing of that knowledge to shape water conservation into a huge national movement on par with the cleanliness drive.
“Water scarcity hits every part of the nation each year but just 8% of the total rainfall available in a year is harvested. This situation must change,” Modi said. He said the newly formed Jal Shakti ministry will look for a speedy resolution of water issues.“I have written to Gram Panchayat leaders and ask them to sit with members to discuss methods of water conservation,” he added.
“Everyone should lead this movement in their own way. We must wake up, unite the society and join ther mission to make this a successful endeavour,” the prime minister said, while pointing to the construction of the water tank in Telengana’s Thimmaipalli area which is changing the lives of the people.
He said the issue of water conservation has stirred the nation and lauded the Meghalaya government for framing a water policy.
He also referred to a major change through the construction of small ponds in the fields of Kabirdham in Rajasthan, while expressing concern over water-scarce Tamil Nadu and Chennai, which have been reeling since last month owing to poor storage in various reservoirs following deficit rainfall.
‘Faith and fearlessness Chandrayaan lessons’
PM Narendra Modi said the two greatest lessons he learnt from the Chandrayaan-II mission was ‘faith and fearlessness’.Addressing the nation via ‘Mann Ki Baat’, HE said, “We have to trust or talents and capacities.
We should have faith In them, adding, “We should feel proud that despite hindrances the thoroughly Indian in heart and spirit homegrown mission took off successfully.” He hoped that the mission would inspire the youth. “The mission has proved beyond any doubt, once again, that when it comes to attem-pting an endeavour in new age cutting edge areas with innovative zeal, our scientists are second to none,” he said.