Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday flagged the problem of water scarcity and said it is seen as a potential crisis in the future all over the world. He said the world is realising the seriousness of limited water resources while pointing to it in context to India’s large population.
“There will be a tomorrow if there is water,” he said in a video message to mark the launch of Jal Jan Abhiyan of spiritual organisation Brahma Kumaris to create awareness about water conservation.
Modi said India has turned water conservation into a mass movement and added Jal Jan Abhiyan will strengthen the conservation efforts through public participation.
He referred to Indian sages and said they created a restrained, balanced, and sensitive system regarding nature, environment, and water thousands of years ago. “Water conservation is in the culture of our society and at the centre of our social thinking,” Modi said. “That is why we consider water to be God and our rivers as mothers.”
He referred to the “Catch the Rain” campaign and added the depleting groundwater table is also a major challenge for the country. Modi said water conservation is being promoted through gram panchayats under the Atal Bhujal Yojana.
Modi underlined the contributions of women in water conservation. He said women from the villages were leading important schemes such as Jal Jeevan Mission, which seeks to provide safe drinking water by 2024 to every household.
Modi called for the need to raise issues related to the environment. He added India is promoting techniques such as drip irrigation for a balanced use of water for agriculture.