KOCHI: Seventy-two-year-old Muppathadam resident Sreeman Narayanan’s initiative of distributing earthen pots to people to provide water for birds and animals during the scorching summer has caught Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attention.
During his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ speech aired on Sunday on All India Radio, Modi praised the Gandhian for distributing over one lakh earthen pots through his project, ‘Pots for Water of Life’, which was aimed at quenching the thirst of birds and animals.
“Narayanan’s work will inspire all of us, and we will also make arrangements for water for our animal and bird friends this summer,” said Modi, praising Narayanan’s good gesture, which he started almost 10 years ago.
Referring to Narayanan’s initiative, Modi urged the public to save every drop of water for future generations. “We must also stress the importance of recycling water. Water used at home can be reused to water plants and gardens. With a little bit of effort, you can make such an arrangement at home,” said Modi.
Meanwhile, Narayanan was surprised that his efforts got the attention of the prime minister. “It is indeed a proud moment for me as the prime minister wholeheartedly praised my effort. For me, it’s a recognition of the hard work that I have put in for over ten years. I am on cloud nine,” said Narayanan. He said the prime minister came to know about his project after actor-turned-MP Suresh Gopi informed him about it.
“I wanted to complete the distribution of one lakh earthen pots by handing over the pots to the PM. I had approached MP Suresh Gopi and informed him about my project. A few days later, people from Doordarshan came and recorded my activities. It was a surprise for me as I never expected the prime minister to come out in support of me,” added Narayanan.
Meanwhile, the Gandhian, who has also undertaken the task of providing facemasks to all residents of his village, plans to continue the project until his last breath.