Water is precious, especially drinking water. There is a shortage of drinking water in many slum areas in cities as well as in villages. People lining up in queues for collecting water from water tankers make a regular sight, especially during summer months. Women with empty pitchers walking for miles to collect water make a pathetic sight. This problem can be solved through some extent through water harvesting, which can be done both in urban (cities) and rural areas (villages).

Water harvesting is the activity of direct collection of rainwater. The rainwater collected can be stored for direct use or can be recharged into the groundwater. Rain is a primary source of water. Rivers, lakes and groundwater are all secondary sources of water, which tend to dry up during summers and times of drought. Water harvesting underlies the importance of understanding the value of rain, and to make optimum use of the rainwater at the place where it falls.

PPN proposes to promote methods of efficient collection of rainwater from terraces, rooftops, etc., of buildings, housing societies in city areas and catchments in rural areas, especially the villages that come under its adoption through government schemes. PPN proposes to train volunteers for this purpose with the help of institutions specialized in rainwater harvesting. In fact, there is a National Water Harvesters' Network (NWHN) which addresses many of the issues such as storage and conservation of water.