UP’s first ‘Amrit Sarovar’ in Rampur draws praise from PM
LUCKNOW: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday referred to a local pond in Shahabad’s Patwai area of Rampur in Uttar Pradesh being transformed into an ‘Amrit Sarovar’ – the name the PM has given to an initiative that seeks to focus on the need for water conservation, among other things.
The PM made the mention of Rampur in his radio show, ‘Mann Ki Baat’ and said as part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ (75 years of India’s independence), each district would have 75 ‘Amrit Sarovars’ or ponds.
As part of the initiative, the Uttar Pradesh government has also decided to come up with at
least 1000 such ‘Amrit Sarovars’ across the state in the first phase and Rampur has taken the lead in this direction where one ‘sarovar’ has come up and another is coming up on 1.67 hectares of land. Officials of the urban development department said that the PM’s praise would ensure that efforts in this regard were intensified across the state. “It is quite possible that the areas you live in don’t have any water scarcity. But you also have to bear in minds how for many others, each drop of water is worth ‘amrit’ (the elixir of life). Water conservation is also part of the resolve that the country has taken up as part of the Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. As part of this initiative, 75 Amrit Sarovars would come up across the state. The day is not far when your city will have many such sarovars and I would expect the youth to know more about this initiative and take charge of it too,” the PM said.
The PM had suggested linking the initiative locally with memory of a freedom fighter.
“I am happy to know that at various places, the work has begun in that direction. For instance, I have come to know about UP’s gram pamchayat patwai where a pond existed but was mired in dirt and neglect. With local support, it has now been transformed and a retaining wall, boundary, food court, fountains and lighting too have come up there. I congratulate Rampur’s gram panchayat patwai,” the PM said, adding that water conservation was the need of the hour. Officials said the transformation of Rampur pond started in January and subsequently through coordinated efforts like MNREGA convergence and using funds from kshetra panchayat and gram panchayat retaining wall, food court, boundary and availability of paddle boats were ensured.