Hamirpur (HP), July 12 (PTI) A campaign to clean the traditional water sources in Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur district has so far cleaned 236 such facilities, officials said on Sunday.
The cleaned sources include 58 wells, 55 ‘khatris’ (hand-hewn caves), 112 step-wells, three storage tanks, five ponds, and three hand pumps, they said.
The campaign was launched following a call by Hamirpur Deputy Commissioner Gandharva Rathore to safeguard people from waterborne diseases during monsoon, and to promote water conservation through preservation and rejuvenation of the natural water sources.
It involves cleaning the traditional wells, ponds, step-wells (‘baoris’), ‘khatris’ and other natural water bodies.
Women’s groups, youth bodies, and other social organisations have been roped in as part of the campaign alongside gram panchayats, the official said.
Rathore said that Hamirpur has achieved 100 per cent of the target to provide piped drinking water to every household through the Jal Shakti department.
However, due to scanty rainfall, there remains a risk of water scarcity in many parts of the district, for which conservation and rejuvenation of traditional wells, ponds, step-wells, etc., is crucial, she said.
The campaign has been launched as these natural water sources are prone to contamination during monsoon, which could expose people to waterborne diseases, the official said. PTI COR BPL ARI
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