Published 17:44 IST, September 3rd 2019
Sadhguru wins PM Modi's praise for 'Cauvery Calling', flags-off rally
PM Modi has welcomed Sadhguru 'Cauvery Calling' campaign to rejuvenate the Cauvery basin, adds that it will help in harnessing Jal Shakti and water conservation
- India News
- 3 min read
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed spiritual leader Sadhguru's ‘Cauvery Calling’ initiative on Tuesday. The PM has opined that this would help in harnessing and preventing unnecessary wastage of water. The PM has also extended his wishes to Sadhguru on his birthday and prayed for his long life. This reaction was a response to Sadhguru’s tweet where he lauded the former’s vision to make the Jal Shakti Abhiyan a people’s movement and asked for support on the ‘Cauvery Calling’ campaign.
The ‘Cauvery Calling’ initiative
Sadhguru is the founder of the Isha Foundation, a non-profit and spiritual organization. Starting Tuesday, he is leading a motorcycle rally from Talacauvery, the origin of the Cauvery river in Karnataka, culminating in Chennai. Around 3500 km would be covered. The aim of the 'Cauvery Calling' rally is to seek public support for the conservation of the Cauvery river. The Isha Foundation has set a target of planting 242 crore trees in the Cauvery basin, thereby revitalizing the river itself and improving the lives of millions of farmers. The focus would be on motivating farmers to switch from water-intensive crops to agroforestry. Basically, Agroforestry implies the practice of growing fruit or timber trees along with full-time crops or on a full-fledged basis.
Jal Shakti Abhiyan
Since his re-election in May 2019, PM Modi had repeatedly stressed on water conservation becoming a movement in India. A special Ministry of Jal Shakti was carved out for this purpose. Taking a cue from the PM, the Jal Shakti Ministry headed by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat announced the Jal Shakti Abhiyan on July 1, that would focus on water conservation and water security. It would run in two phases- the first one from July 1 to September 15 in all states and Union Territories (UTs) and the second from October 2 to November 30 for states and UTs receiving retreating monsoon. During this campaign, groundwater experts and scientists would work with state and district officials in the country's most water-stressed districts to ensure water conservation and better water resource management.
Updated 11:07 IST, September 9th 2019