Involving community participation can go a long way in effective water conservation to ensure water availability and rejuvenation of traditional water sources. This was stated by the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while addressing Workshop on Water Conservation organised by Himachal Pradesh Assembly.

Thakur said that a massive campaign would have to be launched for coping with the water crisis world-over. He said that climate change and global warming had further worsened the situation.

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Water conservation and water management was the need of the hour and collective efforts of Government, Local Bodies and general public should be mobilised in this direction.

He said special campaign would be launched for water literacy in the state so that the masses could be sensitised on this vital issue. He said that traditional methods should be adopted for water conservation. He said that it was duty of each citizen to rejuvenate water sources and save water for future generations.

He said that the workshop would be held at panchayat raj level to involve the elected representatives to take water conservation initiatives effectively.

The CM urged the MLAs to launch water conservation campaign in their respective areas so that Himachal Pradesh took a lead in this endeavor.

He appreciated the efforts of Rajinder Singh for making water conservation a mission not only in Rajasthan but throughout the country. Speaker HP Assembly, Dr Rajeev Bindal said Himachal Pradesh was among the few states of the country which have plenty of rainfall.

Maximum water flows down the rivers unutilised and wasted. He said it is essential that each drop of water is fully used. He said this would not only conserve water but also help in rejuvenation of rivers and rivulets to make them perennial.

The leader of Congress Legislative Party, Mukesh Agnihotri said that keeping in view topography of the state, it requires separate strategy for each area for water conservation.

Magsaysay award winner and ‘Water Man of India’ said that the HP was lucky as it has about 180 cm annual rainfall. He said that still the groundwater was declining at a greater speed. He said that about 70 per cent perennial water bodies have dried up.