Water source restoration drive at Giri Ganga

Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla today launched a water source restoration campaign at Giri Ganga, located at an altitude of about 9,000 feet in Jubbal subdivision of Shimla district. He participated in a cleanliness drive and emphasised the importance of forest and water conservation, as part of broader environmental protection efforts. The cleanliness drive was organised under the aegis of the Home Guards, Civil Defence, Fire Services and the SDRF in collaboration with local mahila mandals.

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The Governor presented saplings to the mahila mandals and urged them to actively participate in maintaining traditional water bodies in their panchayats. He called upon women groups to contribute to environmental conservation and the fight against substance abuse.

Shukla emphasised the urgent need to protect and revive traditional water sources like Giri Ganga amidst the growing challenges of climate change and depleting natural resources. “Such water sources are not just environmental assets, but sacred legacies that must be preserved for future generations,” he added.

The Governor said, “In a hill state like Himachal Pradesh, traditional water sources have sustained communities for centuries. Sadly, modernisation and urbanisation have led to their neglect. It is time to revive them. Water conservation must become a people’s movement not just a government initiative.”

Earlier, Additional DGP Satwant Atwal said that under the first phase of the campaign, 950 traditional water bodies had been identified. Of these, 236 had already been cleaned by 74 companies and 14 training centres of the department. Giri Ganga is the 237 water source under the initiative.