#waterinapot: Promoting savings, saving fauna
A U.P. dept’s simple, unique and virtually expense-free campaign to provide water to birds and animals
All offices of the National Savings Department, U.P., in the Agra division, are now doubling up as ‘watering holes’ for birds and animals like monkeys, squirrels and dogs by adopting a simple and virtually expense-free campaign #waterinapot.
The Agra Division of the department has five offices: one each in Agra, Mainpuri, Mathura and Firozabad districts, and the headquarters being in Agra. Under the #waterinapot campaign, all five offices have set up earthen troughs on their premises to make water available to birds and small animals.
“All the troughs have been placed on the ground so that not just the birds but even animals get water. It is just a small step,” said Prabhat Mishra, the deputy director, National Savings, Agra.
It was Mishra, who had issued a written order in May to all offices under the Agra division, to follow the water-in-a-pot idea to help quench the thirst of birds and small animals. Instead of one, all offices ended up placing several earthen troughs on their premises.
“Every morning, a staff member at these offices fills the troughs with fresh water. Some troughs are small, others are a bit large,” he said.
After all the five offices implemented the order, the National Savings Department, Agra headquarters went a step further and asked nearly 2,000 savings agents attached with the offices in the four districts, to do the same in their houses and to encourage others also to follow the #WaterInAPot idea.
In 2020, the five offices had worked to make themselves carbon neutral. They reduced their power consumption and wastage and planted trees and potted plants on the premises. Carbon neutrality refers to achieving net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by balancing or removing CO2 emissions.
The National Savings Department, U.P., is a state government department under the state finance ministry. The mandate of the department is to promote the habit of savings among people and publicise and promote various national saving schemes among the people of the state.