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In his monthly radio broadcast, ‘Mann ki Baat’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a ‘Cashless Day Out’ — using only digital payment throughout the day when one is out for tourism or leisure. The Prime Minister also urged the people to work more actively for water conservation.
Modi referred to two incidences: one is related to two Delhi girls, Sagarika and Preksha who experimented with the ‘Cashless Day Out’. Wherever they went in Delhi, the duo only used digital payments for all their purchases. “Because of the UPI QR code, they did not have to withdraw cash. Even at most of the street food and roadside vendors, they got the facility of online transaction,” Modi said.
The second example the Prime Minister narrated was related to Anandita Tripathi of Ghaziabad, who had gone to the North East with her husband. In their journey spanning several days, the couple did not withdraw cash even in remote areas.
In places where there was no good internet facility till a few years ago, now there is also the facility of payment through UPI. “Looking at the experiences of Sagarika, Preksha and Anandita. I would also urge you to try the experiment of Cashless Day Out,” Modi said.
Further, he mentioned small online payments are helping build a big digital economy and many new fintech start-ups are coming up. He urged people who have any experience related to digital payments and the start-up ecosystem to share it with others which can be a source of inspiration for the country.
“Now digital transactions worth ₹20,000 crore are taking place daily in our country. In March, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions even reached ₹10-lakh crore,” he said, adding that this is not only increasing the facilities in the country but also encouraging an environment of honesty.
Need for water conservation
Highlighting the need for water conservation, Modi said that in the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, water conservation is one of the resolutions with which the country is moving forward.
“During the Amrit Mahotsav, 75 Amrit Sarovars will be built in every district of the country. You can imagine how big the campaign is. The day is not far when there will be 75 Amrit Sarovars in your own city. I would like all of you, and especially the youth, to know about this campaign and also bear responsibility for it,” he said.
He highlighted that the availability of water and its scarcity determines the progress and speed of any country. From Vedas to Puranas, to save water everywhere, to build ponds, lakes etc., has been termed as the social and spiritual duty of a person, Modi said.
“Every effort to save water is related to our tomorrow. It is the responsibility of the whole society,” he said, adding that different societies have made various efforts continuously for centuries.
For example, Maldhari, a tribe of Rann of Kutch, uses a method called Vridas for water conservation. Under this, small wells are built, and trees and plants are grown nearby to protect them.
Similarly, the Bhil tribe of Madhya Pradesh used their historical tradition of ‘Halma’ for water conservation. Under this, the people of this tribe gather at one place to find a solution to the problems related to water.
Due to the suggestions received from the Halma tradition, the water crisis in this area has reduced and the groundwater level is also increasing, Modi said.
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