Nagpur: Delivering a powerful and emotionally charged message on the growing water crisis, veteran actor and social activist Nana Patekar on Monday stressed that genuine commitment towards water conservation must arise from inner responsibility and not merely for publicity or social recognition.
“The spirit to work for water conservation should come from within. It should not become a show-off for others,” Patekar remarked while addressing the ‘Nagpur Jal Samvad 2026’ programme organised by Purti Sinchan Samruddhi Kalyankari Sanstha on the occasion of its silver jubilee celebrations at Kavivarya Suresh Bhat Auditorium.
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May 14- 2026 - Time 10.30Hrs
The event turned into a major platform for policymakers, environmentalists, social workers and academicians to discuss the urgent need for sustainable water management and community participation in conservation efforts.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Naam Foundation Secretary Makarand Anaspure, Maharashtra Minister for Soil and Water Conservation Sanjay Rathod, Minister of State for Finance Ashish Jaiswal, Minister of State Dr Pankaj Bhoyar, Rajya Sabha MP Maya Ivnate, Gondwana University Vice-Chancellor Dr Prashant Bokare, and Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor Dr Sharad Gadakh were among the prominent dignitaries present.
Patekar recalls turning point behind Naam Foundation’s mission
In an emotionally resonant speech, Nana Patekar said the plight of farmers and water scarcity deeply transformed his outlook towards social work. He revealed that a televised interview of a farmer’s widow became the turning point that inspired him to actively work in the field of water conservation and rural welfare through the Naam Foundation.
Emphasising that every citizen has a moral responsibility towards preserving water, Patekar appealed to people to save every possible drop through individual effort and behavioural change.
He also praised Nitin Gadkari’s initiatives in the field of irrigation and water conservation, particularly through Purti Sinchan Samruddhi Kalyankari Sanstha and projects linked with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Concluding his address, Patekar expressed his desire to establish a dedicated office of Naam Foundation in Nagpur, signalling a stronger future presence of the organisation in Vidarbha.
Gadkari highlights water management crisis, dreams of suicide-free Vidarbha
Addressing the gathering, Nitin Gadkari said India does not lack water resources, but suffers from poor planning and management.
“We have abundant water. The real issue is water management,” Gadkari said while urging citizens to actively participate in conservation initiatives.
The Union Minister stated that his understanding of the devastating impact of water scarcity on farmers, particularly in Vidarbha, motivated him to work extensively on irrigation and water resource projects.
“Making all 10 districts of Vidarbha free from farmer suicides is my ultimate dream,” Gadkari declared, drawing applause from the audience.
He also claimed that through river diversion projects, water from three rivers in Jammu and Kashmir that previously flowed towards Pakistan had been redirected to benefit Punjab, Haryana and eight districts of Rajasthan.
During the programme, Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Rathod announced that the State Government would soon launch a special campaign to remove encroachments from Malgujari lakes, which are considered historically significant water bodies across Vidarbha.
The move is expected to strengthen water storage capacity and revive traditional water conservation systems in the region.
Call to make water conservation part of education
Naam Foundation Secretary Makarand Anaspure stressed the need to make water conservation a mass movement beginning from schools and villages. “There is a need to train every school-going student and every citizen on how to conserve water,” Anaspure said.
Warning about the consequences of environmental neglect, he remarked, “If you do not take care of nature now, nature will not take care of you later.”
Anaspure advocated for a decentralised village-level model of environmental responsibility under the principle of “My village, my country.” He suggested that Gram Panchayats should assign specific responsibilities related to tree plantation, soil conservation and water-saving measures among villagers to ensure grassroots-level implementation.
Books released, activists honoured
The programme also witnessed the release of four books focused on water conservation and agricultural development, Jal Kranti, Jal Parva, Corridors of Water Security, and Krushi Kalyan.
Several noted environmentalists and water conservation activists were felicitated during the event, including Padma Shri awardees Subhash Sharma and Chaitram Pawar, along with Aniket Amte, Dr Sharad Gadakh, Col Sunil Patil (Retd), Dr Prabhat Jain, Suresh Khanapurkar, V D Patil, Milind Joshi, Balasaheb Thengane, Madhav Kotasthane, Sachin Kulkarni, Vikas Totade and Milind Bhagat.
The programme was compered by Bal Kulkarni and Asawari Galande Deshpande, while Prafulladutta Jamdar proposed the vote of thanks.
