The Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, is set to confer the 4th National Water Awards on June 17, 2023. The prestigious award distribution ceremony will take place at the Plenary Hall, Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi and is organized by the Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
This year, a total of 41 winners, including joint winners, have been selected across 11 categories for the 4th National Water Awards, 2022. The winners of the awards will receive a citation, a trophy, and cash prizes in certain categories to acknowledge their remarkable contributions to water conservation and management.
Among the winners, Madhya Pradesh will receive the 1st Prize for the Best State, while Ganjam District in Odisha will be conferred the Best District award. The title of Best Village Panchayat will be presented to Jagannadhapuram Village Panchayat in Bhadradri Kothagudem district, Telangana.
Chandigarh Municipal Corporation in Chandigarh will be honored as the Best Urban Local Body. Advance Water Digest Private Limited Gurugram, Haryana, will receive the award for Best Media, and Jamiyatpura Primary School in Mehsana, Gujarat, and will be recognized as the Best School. Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board in Reasi, Jammu and Kashmir, will be awarded as the Best Institution for Campus usage, while Barauni Thermal Power Station in Begusarai, Bihar, will be acknowledged as the Best Industry. Arpan Seva Sansthan in Udaipur, Rajasthan, will receive the Best NGO award, and the Sanjeevani Piyat Sahkari Mandli Ltd in Narmada, Gujarat, will be recognized as the Best Water User Association. Lastly, HCL Technologies Ltd. in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, will be conferred with the Best Industry for CSR Activities award.
The National Water Awards aim to promote the Government's vision of a 'Jal Samridh Bharat' or 'Water Prosperous India' through a nationwide drive. These awards highlight and encourage the exemplary work and efforts made by individuals and organizations in water conservation and management.
By creating awareness about the importance of water and motivating people to adopt best practices in water usage, the awards contribute to fostering a culture of responsible water management. The event also provides a platform for fostering partnerships and strengthening public participation in water resource conservation and management activities.
Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of Jal Shakti initiated a comprehensive campaign to raise awareness about water management and conservation on a national scale. To encourage stakeholders in adopting a holistic approach towards water resources management, the Ministry established the National Water Awards. The inaugural edition of the awards, known as the 1st National Water Awards, took place in 2018 under the auspices of DoWR, RD & GR. Subsequently, the 2nd and 3rd National Water Awards were held for the years 2019 and 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the awards were not conferred in 2021.
In 2022, the 4th National Water Awards were launched on July 30, 2022, through the Rashtriya Puraskar Portal of the Ministry of Home Affairs. A total of 868 applications were received by the closing date on October 31, 2022. These applications underwent thorough scrutiny and evaluation.
The shortlisted applicants were further assessed through ground truthing carried out by the Central Water Commission and the Central Ground Water Board. Based on the evaluations, 41 winners, including joint winners, were selected across all 11 categories.
