New Delhi, March 29 Nearly 50 lakh artificial water harvesting structures have been created across the country under the 'Jal Sanchay Abhiyan', and 70,000 lakes were made under the 'Amrit Sarovar Abhiyan' in the last 11 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.
In his monthly radio broadcast 'Mann ki Baat', the prime minister said that with the onset of summer in many parts of the country, it is time to renew the commitment to water conservation.
He said that over the last 11 years, the 'Jal Sanchay Abhiyan' has created a lot of awareness among the people, with nearly 50 lakh artificial water harvesting structures created across the country under the campaign.
"I am happy to see that community-level efforts are now underway in every village to address the water crisis. At some places, old ponds are being cleaned; at others, efforts are being made to conserve rainwater," he said.
Under the Amrit Sarovar Abhiyan, Modi said, nearly 70,000 'Amrit Sarovars' (lakes) have been made across the country.
"The cleaning of these lakes has also begun before the advent of the rainy season. Today, I would also like to share some inspiring examples with you. These examples demonstrate how widespread water conservation can be with public participation," he said.
The prime minister cited the Korea district of Chhattisgarh, where farmers worked on a simple yet effective idea. They made small recharge ponds and soak pits in their fields, allowing rainwater to remain in the fields and gradually seep into the ground. More than 1,200 farmers in this area have adopted this model, and the groundwater level of the village has improved significantly.
Similarly, he said, in Mudhigunta village in Telangana's Mancherial district, people have come together to address the water problem and 400 families made soak pits at their homes and created a mass movement for water conservation.
This has improved the village's groundwater level and significantly reduced diseases caused by polluted water, he said.