'Mann ki Baat' address: Narendra Modi urges people to conserve every drop as water crisis looms large over India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned with his monthly radio broadcast Mann Ki Baat on Sunday, urging people to use water resources judiciously as there is a pressing need to make water conservation a mass movement on the lines of cleanliness drive. Modi appealed to all Indians, including eminent people from all walks of life to create awareness on water conservation. The prime minister also said “one size fits all” approach is not required in water conservation. [caption id=“attachment_6790051” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ANI[/caption] “In different parts, different methods may be adopted but the aim is same – to conserve every drop of water,” he said, urging people to share knowledge of traditional methods of water conservation. “If you know about any individuals or NGOs working on water (conservation), do share the details,” he said. He asked people to use the trending #JanShakti4JalShakti to upload their content related to water conservation.

Several cities across India are facing water crisis as water levels in various dams and other resources has gone down significantly. In the first address of his popular monthly radio broadcast after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the 2019 Lok Sabha election with a thumping majority, Modi also said he was undergoing a bout of emptiness as he unable to address the nation through Mann Ki Baat. “The rigours of elections called for hectic preoccupation, but one thing that was missing was the sheer joy of Mann Ki Baat. For me, it was like experiencing a kind of void. It used to be a chat in a genial atmosphere amidst the warmth of one’s own family of 130 crore countrymen; we would listen, we would re-iterate; at times our expressions would turn into an inspiration for someone close to us,” he said. On 24 February, days before the Lok Sabha elections were announced, the prime minister had put his monthly broadcast sessions on hold during March and April. Confident of his victory, Modi had said he will be back with the programme on the last Sunday of May. The prime minister also commented on his trip to the Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand right before the counting day, and said that his secluded time in the cave allowed him to compensate for the emptiness caused by not being able to address the nation. He added that the letters which come for Mann Ki Baat become a source of inspiration to him. With inputs from agencies