Make water conservation national mission: PM

Declaring that water conservation should be made a national mission, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said all industrial units, hotels, commercial establishments, government offices and other users should conduct a 'water audit' and see how a targeted saving could be achieved.

Declaring that water conservation should be made a national mission, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Sunday said all industrial units, hotels, commercial establishments, government offices and other users should conduct a 'water audit' and see how a targeted saving could be achieved.

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"I have directed the Prime Minister's office to implement a plan to acheive at least 10 per cent reduction in the usage of water," he said in an appeal on the issue of water conservation while suggesting a five-point strategy in this regard.

Cleaning up polluted rivers, lakes and ponds, as well as measures to prevent their further pollution should become a matter of widespread debate and action, the Prime Minister said suggesting that the country should observe July as "Water Month" in a bid to focus attention on the problem.

"Our scientists should take up development of low cost water saving technologies as a major challenge," he said.

On his suggestion on water month, he said this period could be used for conducting mass awareness activities, `shramdaan' in schools, colleges and workplaces and seminars and workshops of various categories of water users all over the country.

"In this endevour, let us be guided by the self-evident truth: Water sustains life. It is now our duty to sustain all sources of water," he said.