Surat: Prime Minister, Narendra Modi addressed the program marking the launch of the ‘Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari’ initiative at Surat, Gujarat via video conferencing today. Under this program, approximately 24,800 rainwater harvesting structures are being constructed across the state to enhance rainwater harvesting and ensure long-term water sustainability.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that an important campaign is commencing from the land of Gujarat by the Ministry of Jal Shakti today. Talking about the havoc wreaked by the monsoon season, Modi said that almost all regions in the country had to face the adversities due to it. The Prime Minister pointed out that he had not seen or heard such torrential rainfall in almost every tehsil during his time as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. He said that Gujarat had to face an extreme crisis this time and the departments were not fully equipped to handle the situation, however, the people of Gujarat and the country stood shoulder to shoulder in such dire situations and helped each other. He further added that many parts of the country are still reeling under the effects of monsoon season.

The Prime Minister remarked that water conservation is not just a policy, it’s an attempt and a virtue as well; it has generosity as well as responsibilities too. “Water will be the first parameter on which our future generations will assess us”, added  Modi. This, he said, was because water was not just a resource but a question of life and the future of humanity. He added that water conservation was, thus, the foremost among the 9 resolutions towards a sustainable future.  Modi expressed happiness towards the inception of public participation in the meaningful efforts of water conservation. He extended his best wishes to the Ministry of Jalshakti, Government of Gujarat and all the stakeholders in the initiative.

Highlighting the necessity of environment and water conservation, the Prime Minister pointed out that India is home to only 4 percent of the freshwater in the world. He explained, “Even though the country has several magnificent rivers, large geographical regions remain bereft of water and the water table is also receding at a fast pace.” He underlined that water scarcity combined with climate change has had a huge impact on the lives of people.

Despite the challenging conditions, the Prime Minister emphasized that only India has the potential to find solutions for itself and the world. He credited the understanding of India’s ancient scriptures and said that water and environment conservation is not considered bookish knowledge or something that arose out of a situation.  “Water and environment conservation is part of India’s traditional consciousness”, PM Modi exclaimed. He said that the people of India belong to a culture that considers water as a form of God, rivers as Goddesses and Sarovars as the abode of the Gods. “Ganga, Narmada, Godavari and Kaveri are revered as mothers”, he said. Quoting ancient scriptures, the Prime Minister explained that saving and donating water is the highest form of service as all life forms began from water, and are dependent on it. He underlined that India’s ancestors knew the importance of water and environmental conservation. Referring to a couplet by Rahim Das, the Prime Minister highlighted the farsightedness of the nation and expressed the need to take the lead when it comes to water and environment conservation.

The Prime Minister highlighted that ‘Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari’ initiative was kicking off from Gujarat and has witnessed many successful efforts towards ensuring accessibility and availability of water to the last of the citizens.  Modi reminisced about the situation of Saurashtra two-and-a-half decades ago when the previous governments lacked the vision of water conservation. He added that he resolved to overcome this grave crisis and ensured the completion and commission of Sardar Sarovar Dam, pending for decades. He further added that Sauni Yojna was also started by drawing water from areas of excess and discharging it to areas facing shortages.  Modi expressed happiness that the results of the efforts made in Gujarat are today visible to the world.

“Water conservation is not just a matter of policies but also social commitment”, the Prime Minister said, highlighting the importance of a conscious citizen, public participation and people’s movement. He pointed out that even though water-related projects worth thousands of crores have been initiated in the past, the results are only apparent in the past 10 years. “Our government has worked with a Whole of Society and Whole of Government approach”, PM Modi remarked. Throwing light on the work done in the past 10 years, the Prime Minister said that silos were broken on issues related to water for the first time and the Ministry of Jal Shakti was created to fulfil the commitment of the whole of the government approach. He touched upon the resolve of tapped water supply to every home through Jal Jeevan Mission and informed that tapped water connection was available in only 3 crore households earlier compared to more than 15 crore today. He credited the Jal-Jeevan Mission for clean tap water reaching more than 75 percent of the households in the country. He lauded the local Jal Samitis for their contributions  to Jal-Jeevan Mission and said that women are doing wonderful work in paani samitis all over the country just like the women who did wonders in the paani samitis of Gujarat “At least 50 percent of the participation in this is of village women”, he added.

Highlighting how Jalshakti Abhiyan has become a national mission today, the Prime Minister said that be it renovation of traditional water sources or construction of new structures, individuals from all walks of life, ranging from stakeholders to civil society to panchayats are involved in it. Explaining the strength of public participation, Modi underlined that the work on Amrit Sarovar started in every district during the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and has resulted in construction of more than 60 thousand Amrit Sarovars in the country today. Similarly, he added, the Atal Bhujal Yojana also involved the responsibility of villagers in managing water resources for recharging groundwater. Further, he added, ‘Catch the Rain’ campaign started in 2021 has a large number of stakeholders involved today. Speaking of ‘Namami Gange’ initiative, Modi underlined that it had become an emotional resolution for citizens and people were giving up old traditions and irrelevant customs to ensure the cleanliness of rivers.

Referring to his appeal to the citizens to plant one tree under the ‘Ek Ped Maa ke Naam’ campaign, the Prime Minister stated that groundwater level rapidly increases with afforestation.  He highlighted that crores of trees have been planted under ‘Ek Ped Maa ke Naam’ in the past few weeks. Modi further stressed the need for public participation in such campaigns and resolutions and said that the water conservation efforts are turning into a public movement with the participation of 140 crore citizens.

The Prime Minister called for urgent action on water conservation and emphasized the need to adopt the mantra of ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recharge, and Recycle’ to secure the nation’s future regarding water-related issues. He stated that water can only be saved when its misuse ends, consumption is reduced, water is reused, water sources are recharged and contaminated water is recycled. The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of embracing innovative approaches and modern technologies in this mission. He pointed out that around 80 percent of India’s water needs are met through agriculture, making water-efficient farming crucial for sustainability. He stated that the government is continuously promoting techniques like drip irrigation in the direction of sustainable agriculture. He also spoke about campaigns like ‘Per drop more crop’ and said that it is helping conserve water while also increasing farmers’ incomes in water-scarce regions. Modi highlighted the government’s support for the cultivation of crops that require less water such as pulses, oilseeds, and millets. Furthering the discussion on state-level efforts, Modi encouraged states to adopt and accelerate water conservation practices. Acknowledging that some states provide incentives to farmers for growing alternative crops that consume less water, the Prime Minister urged all states to come together and work in mission mode to drive these efforts forward. He said, “We must promote traditional knowledge, like creating ponds near fields and recharge wells, alongside new technologies.”

“A huge water economy is linked with availability of clean water & success of water conservation”, emphasized Modi. Explaining further, he said, Jal Jeevan Mission had provided employment as well as self-employment opportunities to lakhs of people like engineers, plumbers, electricians and managers. The Prime Minister pointed out that, as per WHO estimate, about 5.5 crore human hours of the citizens of the country will be saved by providing piped water to every home. He added this initiative would help save the time and efforts of our sisters and daughters, which in turn would strengthen the country’s economy.  Modi pointed out that health was also an important aspect of the water economy. He added that, according to reports, while untimely deaths of more than 1.25 lakh children can be prevented, more than 4 lakh people can be saved from diseases like diarrhea every year by Jal Jeevan Mission, which would lead to a significant reduction in out of pocket expenditure.

The Prime Minister acknowledged the significant role that industries have played in India’s mission for water conservation and thanked them for their contribution. He expressed gratitude to the industries that have met Net Zero Liquid Discharge Standards and Water Recycling Goals and highlighted the efforts of various sectors in addressing water sustainability. He also noted that many industries have initiated water conservation projects as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility. Modi praised Gujarat’s innovative use of CSR for water conservation, describing it as a record-setting effort. “Gujarat has set a new benchmark by utilizing CSR for water conservation. Approximately 10,000 borewell recharge structures have been completed in places like Surat, Valsad, Dang, Tapi, and Navsari” Modi emphasized. He further added that these initiatives are helping address water scarcity and recharge groundwater resources in critical regions. Further emphasizing the collaborative efforts between the government and the private sector, Modi announced, “Through the ‘Jal Sanchay-Jan Bhagidari Abhiyan,’ the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Gujarat government have now launched a new mission to create 24,000 more such structures.” He described this campaign as a model that will inspire other states to undertake similar initiatives in the future.

Concluding the address, Prime Minister Modi expressed the belief that India would become a global inspiration in water conservation. “I believe that together, we will make India a beacon of water conservation for all of humanity,” he said, extending his best wishes for the continued success of the mission.

Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel and Union Minister of Jal Shakti, C R Patil were virtually present on the occasion among others.