Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched 'Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain' campaign for conserving water and stressed that every penny of MGNREGA funds be spent on rainwater conservation till the monsoon arrives.

Addressing an event at the virtual launch of the campaign on World Water Day, Modi said it is a matter of concern that majority of rainwater in India gets wasted. He said the more the rainwater is conserved, the less will be the dependence on groundwater.

The prime minister urged that every penny of MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) funds be spent on rainwater conservation till the monsoon arrives. The event was also attended by a number of panches and sarpanches from across the country. Participating through virtual mode, some of them also shared their experiences towards water conservation.

The prime minister said India's self-sufficiency is dependent on its water resources and water connectivity, and its fast-paced development is not possible without effective water conservation.

He also urged the people to use water judiciously.

The 'Catch the Rain' campaign will be undertaken across the country, in both rural and urban areas. It will be implemented from March 22 to November 30 - the pre-monsoon and monsoon period in the country.

The campaign aims to take water conservation at grass-root level through people's participation. It is intended to nudge all stakeholders to create rainwater harvesting structures suitable to the climatic conditions and subsoil strata, to ensure proper storage of rainwater.