Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday picked up several places in the country, including a river in Meghalaya, to praise citizens for taking steps towards preserving and conserving nature.
“There are many states in our country and there are many areas where people have preserved the colours of their natural heritage and have kept the lifestyle of living in harmony with nature alive even today. This is an inspiration to all of us too,” PM Modi said during his Mann Ki Baat programme.
“Whatever natural resources are around us, we should save them, bring them back to their actual form. In this lies in the interests of all of us as well as in the interest of the world,” he added.
As a case in point, the Prime Minister talked about the now-viral image of a boat that seemed to be floating on Meghalaya's Umngot River, which the Jal Shakti ministry has said is one of the cleanest rivers in the world.
The boat with five people on board appears to be flying mid-air as the water of the river, located about 100km from Meghalaya’s capital of Shillong, is so clean and transparent that even the boulders at the bottom can be seen.
{{/usCountry}}The boat with five people on board appears to be flying mid-air as the water of the river, located about 100km from Meghalaya’s capital of Shillong, is so clean and transparent that even the boulders at the bottom can be seen.
{{/usCountry}}“I have been watching on social media the picture of a flying boat in Meghalaya that is becoming viral. This picture catches our attention at the very first sight itself. Most of you must have certainly seen it online,” PM Modi said during the 83rd episode of the month radio programme.
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“When we look closely at this boat floating in the air, we come to know that it is moving on the river water. The water of the river is so clear that we can see its bed and the boat seems to be floating in the air.”
PM also highlighted that apart from the schemes and initiatives brought in by the government, people's efforts also help conserve and protect our natural resources.
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He also gave the examples of the Noon River in Uttar Pradesh’s Jalaun and the Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu where people came together to bring in change.
“My dear countrymen, when we conserve nature, in return nature also gives us protection and security. We experience this in our personal life as well…Friends, nature poses a threat to us only when we disturb her balance or destroy her sanctity. Nature nurtures us like a Mother and fills our world with vivid colours too,” he said.