SURAT, Sept 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday stressed the need to save water, saying India has only four per cent of freshwater resources in the world, and suggested that people should adopt the mantra of ‘reduce, reuse, recharge and recycle’ to conserve it.
He also called the conservation of water and the environment a part of India’s cultural consciousness, wherein water is considered god and rivers are worshipped as goddesses.
He was virtually speaking at a programme marking the launch of the ‘Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari’ initiative in Gujarat’s Surat, a step aimed at strengthening community involvement in water conservation.
“For water conservation, we should work on the mantra of ‘reduce, reuse, recharge and recycle’. We also need to adopt innovative techniques and the latest technology to conserve water,” he said.
Since 80 per cent of the water in India is used for irrigation, sustainable agriculture techniques like drip irrigation should be promoted, said Modi.
“Conservation of water and environment is not new for us. It has been a part of India’s cultural consciousness. In our culture, water is considered god and rivers are revered as goddesses. Narmada, Ganga, Godavari and Kaveri are our mothers. Our ancestors also knew the importance of conservation of water,” he said.
Modi said India has just four per cent of freshwater resources in the world, and many parts of the country face a water crisis. He also noted that in the last few days, various parts of India, including Gujarat, have seen rain fury, which he called unprecedented.
While over 200 people died and 78 are still missing in the landslides that hit Kerala’s Wayanad district on July 30, torrential downpours claimed 49 lives in Gujarat in the last week of August.
Recalling his days as the chief minister of Gujarat, Modi said his past experiences in his home state give him the confidence to solve the water crisis in the country.
He stressed that not just policies, but also people’s participation and social commitment play a crucial role in this mass movement of water conservation.
In the name of saving water and rivers, schemes worth thousands of crores of rupees were floated for decades in the past, he said.
“But, we saw results only during the last 10 years because my government worked on the ‘whole of society – whole of government’ approach,” said Modi.
Modi informed the audience that as against 3 crore water connections in the past, nearly 15 crore houses in rural India now receive piped water under the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ scheme of ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’.
Nearly 75 per cent of the households in the country are now getting tap water under the Jal Jeevan Mission, he said.
“With people’s participation, nearly 7,000 ‘Amrit Sarovars’ (lakes) were created across the country. For groundwater recharge, we have launched the ‘Atal Bhujal’ scheme as well as the ‘Catch the Rain’ campaign said the PM.
He said schemes like Jal Jeevan Mission also play an important role in promoting the ‘water economy’ wherein jobs and self-employment opportunities are created for engineers, managers, plumbers and electricians.
“The WHO (World Health Organisation) has predicted that thanks to piped water connections, India will save nearly 5.5 crore hours of the citizens. This time will be utilised in developing our economy. As per reports, we will be able to save nearly 4 lakh lives every year from diarrhoea by providing clean water under the Jal Jeevan Mission,” the PM said.
He also acknowledged the contribution of business houses for achieving net-zero liquid discharge standards and water recycling goals. Modi said Gujarat has set a new record in utilising CSR (corporate social responsibility) funds for groundwater recharge.
“In south Gujarat, nearly 10,000 recharge structures for borewells were constructed and the next target is to create another 24,000 recharge structures. This is a joint initiative of the Gujarat government, Ministry of Jal Shakti and people’s participation” said Modi.
He said this model for groundwater recharge will motivate other states to replicate it.
According to an official statement, Gujarat’s model of water conservation, rooted in community participation, has been a pioneering example in India.
The initiative builds on the success of the ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain’ campaign, which began in 2019. Despite COVID disruptions, the campaign has grown into an annual nationwide effort. Its current edition, launched in March, emphasises women’s leadership in water management under the theme ‘Nari Shakti se Jal Shakti’, the statement said.
