Online application window for 7th National Water Awards open till Aug 28
New Delhi, July 3
The Jal Shakti Ministry is inviting applications till August 28 for the 7th National Water Awards on the Rashtriya Puraskar portal to honour States, Districts, Urban Local Bodies, Dam Owning Agencies and Industries which excel in water conservation and management, an official said on Friday.
An official statement said that all applications received for the 7th National Water Awards would be scrutinised/shortlisted by a Screening Committee, and shortlisted applications would be placed before the Jury Committee constituted by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.
The recommendations of the Committee would be submitted to the Minister (Jal Shakti) for approval, said the statement.
Each winner would be provided a trophy with a citation, it said.
In the category for states, there will be three winners in each of three sub-categories: Water Resource Management; Jal Sanchay Jal Bhagidari and Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
For the competing districts, there will be 15 awards in each of the three sub-categories: Water Resource Management; Jal Sanchay Jal Bhagidari (JSJB) and Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
The National Water Awards (NWAs) were introduced to recognise and encourage exemplary work and efforts made by States, Districts, individuals and organisations across the country in accomplishing the government's vision 'Jal Samridh Bharat'.
The NWAs aim to sensitise the public about the importance of water and motivate them to adopt the best water usage practices, said the statement.
The Awards encourage the stakeholders to adopt a holistic approach toward water resource management in the country as surface water and groundwater play a significant role in the water cycle.
The first edition of the National Water Awards was introduced in 2018 by the Department, and six editions of the Awards have been successfully organised by the Department, said the statement.
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's encouraging to see initiatives like this. I moved to India from the UK for work last year, and I'm amazed by the scale of water management challenges here. The fact that the government is recognizing efforts at district and state levels is a positive step. Hopefully these awards will create a healthy competition among regions. 🌊
I really appreciate this initiative. In our village in Tamil Nadu, we've seen the water table drop drastically over the past decade. My only concern is that the application process should be simplified for small NGOs and local bodies who might not have the resources to fill complex forms on the Rashtriya Puraskar portal. Many gram panchayats are doing amazing work without any recognition. 🙏
Having studied India's water management systems, this is a commendable effort. The three sub-categories - Water Resource Management, Jal Sanchay Jal Bhagidari, and Jal Jeevan Mission - cover the key areas. However, I'd like to see more transparency in the selection process and wider publicity for these awards so that deserving candidates from remote areas also apply. 👍
Excellent initiative! Being from Rajasthan, I know how critical water conservation is. These awards have been running since 2018 and I've seen some genuine success stories. But the government should also focus on rain water harvesting and check dam construction in water-stressed districts. Awards are good, but implementation at ground level needs more push. Let's hope this 7th edition sees even better participation! 💪
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