In a move that is expected to trigger a mass movement on water conservation, the Himachal Pradesh government constituted a high powered task force on Friday to prepare a time-bound action plan on strengthening rainwater harvesting and create vast reservoirs of stored water in the state.
Additional Chief Secretary (Science,Technology and Environment) Sarojni Gangu Thakur has been appointed chairperson of the task force with nine other top officials as its members.
According to a notification issued on Friday, the committee will formulate plans on rainwater harvesting and identify priority areas for action to mitigate water scarcity in Himachal and implement and monitor plans.
Other members of the task force are secretaries of departments like irrigation and public health, urban development, tourism, education, health, agriculture, forest, rural development and the director of environment department.
The task force has been asked to take help of experts and officials from the Council for Science and Technology, HP Pollution Control Board, Palampur Agriculture University and Dr R K Sood, a former chief scientist with the Department of Environment, Science and Technology.