Importance of water is not a new concept for human kind, everyone knows and is well aware of the various reasons why water is vital for the human society, what is perhaps more ambiguous is the extent of this importance. This paper reflects upon the importance of water in a societal point of view, through various examples of issues and difficulties faced by areas having less to no access to water. The difference of rural and urban areas, with respect to availability of water and its consequences is established. Also the paper tries to identify the various traditional indigenous techniques, reflecting the geographical peculiarities and cultural uniqueness of different communities with the example of Dholavira, Indus valley civilization city and Mandu fort from Madhya Pradesh. The paper explains how efficient the water harvesting systems were and how various regions adopt vernacular techniques to save the precious resource. Lastly the paper sheds light on how and why these techniques can and should be adopted in modern and more urban context with amalgamation of new technology and how participation at neighborhood level can be a vital approach to the concept of rain water harvesting and water conservation.