Mumbai, Feb 22 (PTI) Water is life and it should be used carefully, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Monday after he laid the foundation stone for the third phase of the Nhava-Sheva Water Supply Scheme at Bhokarpada in Raigad.

According to an official statement, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde and others were present at the event held in Panvel taluka.

"Water is life. We can manufacture a lot of things, but we cannot produce water. Hence, we should use water we have carefully," the statement quoted Thackeray as saying.

Noting that the population in Raigad district was increasing, Thackeray called for completing work on the scheme before time toaddress drinking water requirements.

Pawar spoke about adhering to social distancing norms and added there will be no need to impose lockdown again if people follow rules.

"People need to take the present situation seriously. We all need to take care before the situation becomes even more difficult," Pawar said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)