'Catch the rain': PM Modi pitches for water conservation ahead of summer

New Delhi, Feb 28: Underlining the importance of collective responsibility towards water conservation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for a 100-day campaign to clean up all water bodies and prepare them for rain water harvesting before the monsoon season starts.

In his monthly ''Mann Ki Baat'' broadcast, PM Modi said water has been crucial for the development of humankind for centuries.

"We have to understand our collective responsibility towards water conservation," he said.

The prime minister also said that when people feel proud of indigenous products then Aatmanirbhar Bharat does not just remain an economic programme but becomes a national spirit.

Noting that monsoon will begin in many parts of the country by around May-June, the prime minister asked can there be a 100-day public campaign to clean up all nearby water bodies and prepare those for rain water conservation.

"This is the best time to think about water conservation in the summer months ahead," PM Modi said.

In this regard, the Union Jal Shakti Ministry is also launching "Catch the rain" campaign and its main theme is "catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls", he said.