Joint efforts must be made to deal with drought: Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the Centre, states, local bodies, NGOs and citizens must work together to resolve problems posed by drought in various parts of the country.

Chairing a meeting here on the drought and water scarcity situation in parts of Maharashtra with the state`s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and senior officials, Modi said the authorities must focus on medium and long-term solutions to tackle drought.

He also stressed on the importance of using water efficiently through drip irrigation and sprinklers in agriculture, stating that drip irrigation in sugarcane increases the quality of sugar.

The prime minister said there was a need to adopt a judicious mix of traditional and modern water conservation and storage mechanisms. He said that a lot can be learnt from the water management practices and measures adopted by Chhatrapati Shivaji.

Chief Minister Fadnavis said that his government was working on a plan to ensure that the entire sugarcane belt in Maharashtra comes under drip irrigation in three years.

The chief minister stated that he was also working to rejuvenate the water bodies in the state.