NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched the Atal Bhujal Scheme for better management of groundwater, stressing on the need to use technology which helps prevent wastage of water in various spheres, including agriculture.

He also named Rohtang passageway in Himachal Pradesh as Atal Tunnel to mark the 95th birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Urging farmers to switch over to crops that use less water, he exhorted people not to waste the precious natural resource in daily household needs.

He urged start-ups to come up with technology to ensure minimal use of water for various needs.

Modi said only three crore out of 18 crore rural households today have clean, piped water.

The plan, he said, is to provide the remaining 15 crore rural households with piped water in the next five years.