Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday highlighted the growing public participation in the nationwide ‘Catch The Rain’ campaign, saying the initiative to conserve every drop of rain has gathered momentum across villages and cities alike through widespread community involvement.
Addressing the 136th episode of his monthly radio programme, Mann Ki Baat, the Prime Minister recalled his appeal in the previous broadcast to transform water conservation into a people’s movement.
“In the previous episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, I spoke to you about the ‘Catch The Rain’ campaign. I had appealed that this campaign to conserve every drop of rain be turned into a mass movement,” he said.
Explaining the objective of the campaign, PM Modi said, “The message of ‘Catch The Rain’ is very simple: conserve the water right where and when the rain falls. That is why a special nationwide campaign has been underway since the 4th of July. Under this initiative, fresh momentum is being given to rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, the rejuvenation of old water bodies, and tree plantation.”
The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the enthusiastic response from across the country.
“I am delighted to see overwhelming participation from people everywhere – be it villages or cities, panchayats or social organizations,” he said.
Highlighting the various activities being undertaken under the campaign, PM Modi said, “At some places, silt is being removed from old ponds, while at others, wells and stepwells are being revived. Borewells no longer in use are now serving as channels for groundwater recharge.”
He also cited several successful examples from different states where local communities have actively participated in water conservation efforts.
“Around 1,500 ponds have been constructed in the Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh. ‘Amrit Sarovars’ have been restored in Narsinghpur. Significant water storage capacity has been developed in Nashik, Maharashtra. In Nandyal, Andhra Pradesh, all gram panchayats have joined this campaign, and old ponds have been made functional again. Our cities as well are not lagging behind either; encouraging results from this campaign are visible in Korba (Chhattisgarh), Bhubaneswar (Odisha), and Vizianagaram (Andhra Pradesh),” he said.
Calling upon citizens to contribute to water conservation, the Prime Minister urged people to take responsibility for restoring local water bodies.
“Come, let us also take responsibility for a pond, well, or stepwell in our vicinity – save every drop of water. Every drop saved today serves as the greatest asset for the future of coming generations,” he said.
