PM Modi: It's time to reduce, reuse, recharge and recycle water

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday stressed the need to save water, saying India has only four per cent of freshwater resources in the world, and suggested that people should adopt the mantra of 'reduce, reuse, recharge and recycle' to conserve it.

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He also called the conservation of water and the environment a part of India's cultural consciousness, wherein water is considered god and rivers are worshipped as goddesses.

He was virtually speaking at a programme marking the launch of the 'Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari' initiative in Gujarat's Surat, a step aimed at strengthening community involvement in water conservation.

"For water conservation, we should work on the mantra of 'reduce, reuse, recharge and recycle. We also need to adopt innovative techniques and the latest technology to conserve water," he said. Since 80 per cent of the water in India is used for irrigation, sustainable agriculture techniques like drip irrigation should be promoted, said Modi.

"Conservation of water and environment is not new for us.