Sachin Tendulkar bats for BMC; shoots water conservation ad

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar has appealed to Mumbaikars to use water judiciously, at a time when the city is grappling with water shortage, in an advertisement campaign for the local civic body.
    
Tendulkar, dressed in his cricket uniform, shot for an advertisement campaign for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's 'Save Water' campaign at MCA ground in Bandra Kurla Complex yesterday afternoon.

"In the advertisement, Tendulkar, spreads the message of saving water in Hindi and Marathi. In Marathi he says, 'Paani
wachwa, Mumbai jagwa' and in Hindi the message says, 'Paani ki raksha, Mumbai ki Suraksha'," former BMC engineer and cricket columnist Dwarkanath Sanzgiri said.

The 30-second commercial that was shot by Eureka Films and directed by Meghnath Kulkarni will hit TV screens and multiplexes in 10 days, he said.

In a bid to save water, Tendulkar, who said he takes his bath using a bucket instead of taking a shower, will also be seen on posters, asking people to save water.

BMC feels that the cricketer, who earlier endorsed AIDS awareness, had a great impact and they expect the same with Tendulkar becoming a part of the Save Water Campaign.

"Sachin's endorsement is likely to drive home the point better. We are sure that Sachin endorsing the cause of water conservation, which is a pressing issue in the city, will have a positive impact and we will be able to save water," a BMC
official said.

Mumbai, which has a daily requirement of 4,200 million litres of water, has a shortfall of 800 million litres a day. The residential users are now facing a 15 per cent water cut while commercial users face 30 per cent water cut.