No water shortage, need scientific approach to conserve it:

Union minister Nitin Gadkari today said that there was no shortage of water in the country but lack of planning led to most of it flowing into the sea.

Gadkari was speaking at the inauguration of the two-day Nadi Mahotsav (River Festival) here on the banks of the Narmada river in the state's Hoshangabad district.

Calling water, forests, land and animals invaluable gifts from God, Gadkari said that development could be ensured only if these were preserved.

"We have to adopt a scientific approach in the planning and conservation of water in order to ensure a balance," he said.

Fondly remembering former Union minister for environment and forests Anil Madhav Dave who started the river festival here, Gadkari said a lot of river conservation works were currently on and it was greatly benefiting people.

Dave died on May 18 last year.

"We must enhance our efforts to conserve nature including plantation to ensure availability of water. We also have to work to convert waste into wealth with the help of technology," Gadkari said.

MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was also present for the inauguration, said that 80 per cent of the 6.63 crore saplings planted during the Narmada Yatra in July last year were still alive.

Senior RSS functionary Suresh Soni cited the example of Jaisalmer as a city where work related to conserving ponds started nearly 700 years ago.

"We can revive our rivers by using technology. A river is alive only when it flows from one source to other," he said at the inauguration ceremony.