Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari programme at Surat to build 24,800 rainwater harvesting structures across Gujarat to enhance rainwater harvesting and ensure long-term water sustainability.

Addressing people via videoconferencing, he said the water conservation programme is not a matter of policy alone, but an effort in public service with responsibility. When future generations evaluate the present one, its attitude towards water conservation will be the first parameter on which they will form an opinion, he said.

This, he said, is because water is not just a resource but a question of life and the future of humanity. It is for this reason only the country has declared water conservation as the foremost among the country’s nine resolutions towards a sustainable future, he said.

Mr Modi expressed happiness at the participation of the public in the water conservation movement, and extended his best wishes to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the Government of Gujarat and all stakeholders in the initiative.

The Prime Minister said that India is home to only four per cent of freshwater resources in the world. “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 said. Water scarcity combined with climate change has had a huge impact on the lives of people, he said.

Despite the challenging conditions, Mr Modi said, India alone in the world can find a solution to the water problem for itself and the world. This is due to the country’s ancient traditions of knowledge. Conservation of water or Nature are not new subjects for the country. The country is facing the problems at present only because of certain conditions, he said.

“Water and environment conservation are part of India’s traditional consciousness,” he said. He said that people of India belong to a culture that considers water as a form of God, rivers as Goddesses and Sarovars (ponds) as abodes of 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 begin from water, and are dependent on it.

The Prime Minister said that India’s ancestors knew the importance of water and environmental conservation. Referring to a couplet by Rahim Das, he said the country was farsighted about water. There is therefore need for the country take the lead when it comes to water and environment conservation, he said

The Prime Minister highlighted that ‘Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari’ initiative was starting from Gujarat. Efforts have been made for ensuring accessibility and availability of water. But none can forget the situation in Saurashtra two-and-a-half decades ago when previous governments lacked the vision of water conservation.

He said he had resolved then that he would see to it that the water crisis was ended. He ensured the completion and commissioning of the Sardar Sarovar Dam, pending for decades. The Sauni Yojana was also started by drawing water from areas of excess and releasing it in areas facing shortages. The Prime Minister said the results of those efforts are today visible to the world.

“Water conservation is not just a matter of policy but of social commitment also,” he said. There is a role for conscientious citizens, public participation and people’s movements. 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. In the past 10 years, the Prime Minister said, 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.

The programme for tap water supply to every home through Jal Jeevan Mission was started and these water connections, available in only three crore households, are now available to more than 15 crore homes. Women did wonderful work in paani samitis (water committees), he said.