Independence Day: PM Modi announces Jal Jeevan Mission scheme for households; to cost Rs 3.5-lakh crore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that the government will launch the scheme to bring piped water to households in the coming years. Called Jal Jeevan Mission, it will bring piped water to households and will cost more than Rs 3.5 lakh crore. In his sixth Independence Day address, PM Modi said half of the country's households do not have access to piped water.

"I want to announce from the Red Fort that we will move forward with Jal Jeevan Mission. The Centre and states will work towards it and in coming years, more than Rs 3.5 lakh crore will be spent," he said.

Speaking about water conservation, the PM said that the movement towards water conservation has to take place at the grassroots level and cannot become a mere government programme. "People from all walks of life have to be integrated in this movement," PM Modi said.

PM Modi added that efforts need to quadruple in the next five years compared to what was done in the last seven decades.

He also spoke about banning single-use plastic. "Can we free India from single use plastic? The time for implementing such an idea has come. May teams be mobilised to work in this direction. Let a significant step be made on 2nd October," said PM Modi.

The Prime Minister also urged Indians to travel to 15 Indian destinations to give a boost to local tourism.

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