Underlining the importance of rainwater harvesting in Indian culture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday compared the traditional festivals of Jal-Jeelani Ekadashi and Chhatt with the National Water Mission's (NWM) campaign "Catch The Rain".
"In the western parts of India, especially Gujarat and Rajasthan, there is a scarcity of water and suffer droughts. In Gujarat, at the beginning of the rainy season people celebrate 'Jal-Jilani Ekadashi' it is similar to what we call today 'Catch the Rain'...accumulating each and every drop of water. In Bihar and other parts of the east, the festival of Chhath is celebrated," said PM Modi during his address at the 81st episode of the monthly radio programme 'Mann ki Baat'.
He said Indian scriptures distinctly disapprove of polluting rivers, "even a bit", and our traditions have been synchronous with the thought.
The Prime Minister hoped that ahead of the festival, the river banks are cleaned and ghats are repaired, and said, "We can make our rivers pollution-free with the collective effort and cooperation of all."
National Water Mission's (NWM) campaign "Catch The Rain" with the tagline "Catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls" is to nudge the states and stakeholders to create appropriate Rain Water Harvesting Structures (RWHS) suitable to the climatic conditions and sub-soil strata before monsoon.
"Mann ki Baat" is the Prime Minister's monthly radio address, which is broadcast on the last Sunday of every month.
( With inputs from ANI )
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