New Delhi: On World Water Day that is celebrated across the world on March 22, Internationally-acclaimed sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik spreads the message among people about the importance, need and conservation of water through his sand artwork. Showcasing the unfortunate plight of a child who is struggling to get a few drops of water, along with the message ‘Save Water, Save Life’, the Padma Awardee, Sudarsan Pattnaik made the sand sculpture.
Sharing the message with netizens through his social media, Sudarsan Pattnaik said,
Every drop of water is important for the survival of living beings on our earth.
View Sudarsan Pattnaik’s Post
Every drop of water is important for the survival of living beings on our earth. #SAVEWATER #SAVELIFE I am sharing one of my SandArt On the occasion of #WorldWaterDay pic.twitter.com/qr0Z9BqdVw
— Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) March 22, 2019
This is not the first time sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has created a sand art with a message for the environment. The artist is well known for creating sand sculptures around the theme of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan – from open defecation free to waste or garbage free India, Mr Pattnaik time and again has helped sensitise people about the importance of keeping the environment clean and green.
The artist is also known for making some of the magnificent and gigantic sculptures on the beaches – on the occasion of Christmas, Sudarsan Pattnaik created a Santa Claus using 10,000 waste plastic bottles on the Puri beach in Odisha to sensitise people about the dangers of indiscriminate use of plastic.
Wishing everyone a #MerryChristmas . On the eve of #Christmas through installation of 30ft high & 100ft wide #SantaClaus on Sand with 10 thousands Plastic bottles. Let’s get #readytochange and #BeatPlasticPollution to save our #Environment . pic.twitter.com/gXcj1XisYY
— Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) December 25, 2018
Whereas, on World Environment Day, the artist created a sand turtle art that was 50ft long and 30ft wide. The unique thing about the art was that it is made using 300 kilograms of plastic bottles to send out a strong message – #BeatPlasticPollution.
My Biggest Sand Turtle, 50ft long & 30ft wide with installation of plastic bottles at Puri beach in Odisha with message #BeatPlasticPollution for #WorldEnvironmentDay pic.twitter.com/oaz07aYdrO
— Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) June 5, 2018
Also Read: Odisha’s Puri Beach Sees A Crocodile With A Plastic Bottle In Its Mouth. Courtesy Sudarsan Pattnaik
Water Crisis In India: Facts You Should Know
According to the government think tank – NITI Aayog, 600 million Indians face high to extreme water stress and about two lakh people die every year due to inadequate access to safe water. The recent report by the NITI Aayog also highlighted that 21 Indian cities will run out of groundwater by 2020.
The same report also stated that as much as 70 per cent of India’s water is contaminated due to lack of water management.
Also Read: World Water Day 2019: Five Stark Facts About Water Crisis In India
On the other hand, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation states that about 10.06 crore population are consuming water with excess fluoride, which can cause fluorosis that affects the teeth and bones.
Also Read: World Water Day 2019: 5 Things You Need To Know
NDTV – Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign lends support to the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign aims to spread awareness about hygiene and sanitation, the importance of building toilets and making India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2019, a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014. Over the years, the campaign has widened its scope to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and menstrual hygiene. The campaign has also focused extensively on marine pollution, clean Ganga Project and rejuvenation of Yamuna, two of India’s major river bodies.
