Idea that saved water with zero public funds

Jal Shakti minister C R Patil praised PM Narendra Modi’s “advance planning” — which, he said, helped India prepare itself and minimise the adverse impacts of El Nino, especially deficient rainfall.It was the idea of it, he said, that set everything rolling, and it would be the idea that would help shape a developed India.“Soch se hi sab kuch shuru hota hai (Everything begins with an idea),” he said, adding that it was the thought of it, and subsequent action, that will make India a developed nation by 2047.Patil said Modi saw the possibility of a water crisis much in advance, and had called for transforming “water conservation through people’s participation” into a public movement. He stressed that while the govt was doing its job, each citizen must also understand their duties, and contribute towards nation-building.“We didn’t invest a single rupee of govt money in building 1.5 crore water conservation structures,” the minister said.“We designed them, we spoke to people and industry. We told them to undertake water conservation and rain harvesting works with corporate social responsibility funds.”You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.