iTV Network launched the country’s biggest TV campaign #AakhriBoond to spread awareness and inculcate good habits of water conservation among people at Vishalakshi Mandapam, The Art of Living International Center in Bangalore on Monday. The event was graced by Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and iTV Foundation Founder and Promoter Kartikey Sharma and others dignitaries. At the event, people took a pledge to conserve water as 33 crore people in India are facing water shortage, 25% of the country is witnessing drought situation while our metropolitan cities like Delhi and Bengaluru are likely to run out of drinking water soon.The mega campaign was launched to spread the message that all of us can play a key role in saving each and every drop of water. In this regard, a mobile app Aakhri Boond was also launched and Sri Sri Ravishankar, along with millions of his followers, and people who were present both inside and outside the Vishalakshi Mandapam in Karnataka, took the noble pledge to conserve water on Monday.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said the campaign to conserve water is the need of the hour. Sharing his experience from 2018 Kumbh, the spiritual guru said river Ganga has been rejuvenated, the river water is clean now and in a much better condition than earlier while thanking Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for the success of Namami Gange project. He said now time is ripe to rejuvenate rivers like Yamuna, Cauvery and others.He said Karnataka and Tamil Nadu always lock horns over water sharing. Reports said there are 85 rivers in Tamil Nadu, but they only exist on paper. Art of Living Foundation volunteers came to know the reality when they started working on the rejuvenation of 19 rivers.
More than 1,000 water bodies are there but all of them have been polluted or turned into drainage and sewage systems, he said.The spiritual guru said the government and people should come together to avert a major crisis in the future. The water level had dipped to 1,200 mgd in Karnataka’s Chikmagalur district and now, after the Art of Living Foundation volunteers started working on the rejuvenation of river Vedwati and urged people to save water, the groundwater level increased by 15-20 per cent.The Art of Living Foundation founder said the practice of immersion of idols and puja materials including flowers in rivers, lakes, and the sea should be stopped immediately as the materials contain toxic elements and heavy metals like lead and mercury. So, all the water bodies need to be purified and it can be possible only when people volunteer to undertake such noble initiatives It is our country and we have the responsibility to save rivers, water, he added.In 2011, “Meri Delhi, Meri Yamuna” initiative was started by the Art of Living Foundation and its volunteers had taken out over 800 tons of garbage from the polluted river. Sri Sri concluded his speech saying if water, air, land and heart gets purified, India will emerge as the best place to live on planet earth.ITV founder and promoter Kartikey Sharma, in the opening address, said, ” It is an important day for the Aakhri Boond campaign as it is all set to take a giant leap towards saving every drop of water. The august gathering gives hope to the planet earth and the coming generations. A campaign of this magnitude needs mature guidance, and who better than Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji to be the spiritual ambassador. With his first-hand experience of seeing the problems in the world many off which arrives due confrontation over natural resources like water. His inputs will be a game-changer.”Kartikey Sharma also welcomed Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and his followers for joining hands with ITV Network in the fight for a noble cause. He said this initiative will become people’s campaign to change the water scenario in the country.