Puri (Odisha) [India], Sep 12 (ANI): With an aim to send out a strong message to the people to use water judiciously on the occasion of 'Anant Chaturdashi', sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has created a sculpture of a running tap at Odisha's Puri beach on Thursday.

The renowned sand artist depicted an overfilled bucket with the water flowing into the drainage. He also inscribed the slogan "Don't Waste Water" at the bottom of the sand sculpture.

Pattnaik chose the theme after being inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign to conserve the water.

On July 28, the Prime Minister while addressing the nation at his monthly radio broadcast Mann Ki Baat made a strong push for conserving every drop. He also cited various examples of conservation efforts being undertaken by various states in the recent past.

If one looks closely, this year, the majority of the states in India suffered from hydrological poverty due to delay of Monsoon season and lack of water conservation methods.

This issue was also highlighted by the World Resource Institute which claimed that India is the world's 13th most water-stressed country and if the issue is not addressed immediately the situation may worsen.

As the concern over water availability for domestic use and agriculture increased with water tables depleting at a faster pace, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also called for a collective effort to augment and protect the country's water resources. During his Independence Day speech, he announced the Jal Jeevan Mission, which plans to supply potable water to all households by 2024.

Under this mission, the Centre will focus on water conservation and rainwater harvesting in as many as 256 districts in the first phase. Besides, it will carry out other initiatives such as reuse of water and recharge structures, intensive afforestation as well as watershed development. (ANI)