The Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR), Ministry of Jal Shakti has launched the 5th National Water Awards (NWA), 2023 on the Rashtriya Puraskar portal. All applications for these awards will be received through the online Rashtriya Puraskar portal, and the last date for submission is December 15, 2023.
Eligible entities for the awards include any state, district, village panchayat, urban local body, school/college, institution (other than school/college), industry, civil society, water user association, or an individual who has done exemplary work in the field of water conservation and management.
The awards will be presented in various categories, including Best State, Best District, Best Village Panchayat, Best Urban Local Body, Best School/College, Best Institution (other than school/college), Best Industry, Best Civil Society, Best Water User Association, and Best Individual for Excellence.
The winners in the categories of Best State and Best District will receive a trophy with a citation. In the remaining categories, the winners will be awarded cash prizes along with a trophy and citation. The cash prizes for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd winners in each category are Rs.2 lakhs, Rs.1.5 lakhs, and Rs.1 lakh, respectively.
The National Water Awards aim to recognize and encourage exemplary work and efforts made by states, districts, individuals, organizations, etc., across the country in accomplishing the government’s vision of a ‘Jal Samridh Bharat’ (Water-Abundant India). The awards seek to sensitize the public about the importance of water and motivate them to adopt the best water usage practices.
The selection process involves a Screening Committee of the DoWR, RD & GR scrutinizing all applications received. The shortlisted applications undergo ground truthing by the organizations of DoWR, RD & GR, namely, Central Water Commission (CWC) and Central Ground Water Board (CGWB). A Jury Committee headed by a retired Secretary-level officer evaluates the applications based on the reports of ground truthing and recommends the winners. The recommendations are submitted to the Union Minister (Jal Shakti) for approval.
The National Water Awards were introduced in 2018, with the objective of encouraging stakeholders to adopt a holistic approach toward water resource management in the country, recognizing the significant role of surface water and groundwater in the water cycle.
https://awards.gov.in/Home/Awardpedia.
General public may refer to this portal of this Department (www.jalshakti-dowr.gov.in) for further details.