New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi concentrated on tackling the looming water crisis in many parts of India in his first ‘Mann Ki Baath’ after assuming office. He suggested a mass movement of people on the model of Swach Bharath to face the serious issue of water scarcity.
Modi said that the people must have awareness about water conservation and asked the people to come forward with suggestions to conserve water. He said that there are many traditional ways followed for centuries to store water. He requested the people with such knowledge to come forward to share it in social media using the hashtag ‘JanShakti4JalShakti’.
He said, “If anybody gets a chance to visit Porbandar, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, behind his house there is a 200 year old water tank and still there is water in it. There is a system to preserve rainfall water.”
He highlighted the importance of storing rainwater by saying that we only save 8% of the total rainfall we receive each year.
Modi said the government’s initiative to tackle the water crisis of the country by creating a separate ministry for it. He said, “Keeping in mind the importance of water we have created Jal Shakti Ministry. It is made to take decisions on all water related issues will now be taken at a fast pace.”
The Prime Minister said that every region has an unique method to conserve and store rainwater. He said that he is confident that the people are able to solve this issue just as they have solved many other problems.
He added that the people’s faith in democracy is once more proved in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. Modi had promised in the last Mann Ki Baath before the elections that he would address the people after he comes back to power. He said that it was not over confidence that made him make that promise but his faith in the people.
The Prime Minister said that he is receiving many emails and letters after he started Mann Ki Baath. He said that the strength of Mann Ki Baath is the 130 crore people.
