National Conference on Water Sufficient Panchayat

Leading to the National Panchayati Raj Day celebrations on 24^th April 2023, Ministry of Panchayati Raj is organizing the National Panchayati Raj Award Celebration week (17^th -21^st April 2023), under which ‘National Conference on Themes 2, 4 & 5: Healthy Panchayat, ‘Water Sufficient Panchayat’ and ‘Clean and Green Panchayat’ is scheduled to be held in New Delhi tomorrow.

The Conference would be held on the themes of Healthy Panchayats, Water Sufficient Panchayats, and Clean & Green Panchayats. During the Conference, around 1,500 Participants from all States/UTs including Elected Representatives (ERs) from Panchayats, National Panchayat Award winners, Officials from PR Department, SIRDs, PRITs are expected to be present.

The Conference would be showcasing Best Practices depicting in short video films, based on exemplary work undertaken by the PRIs. This would also augment capacity building of ERs with greater exposure, interactive learning and experience sharing.

Under the National Panchayat Awards 2023, Gowthampur Gram Panchayat, Telangana for Healthy Panchayat, Nellutla Gram Panchayat, for Water Sufficient Panchayat and Kundal Gram Panchayat, Maharashtra for Clean and Green Panchayat, have secured the first position. Under the “Healthy Village” theme, Panchayats need to ensure healthy lives and wellbeing for all through health checkup, 100% immunization, institutional delivery, nutrition and early child-care through ICDS etc., Under the ‘Water Sufficient Village’ Panchayats need to ensure access to potable water facilities to every household, grey water treatment & purification, address groundwater depletion, arsenic contamination, rainwater harvesting & groundwater recharge etc. Under the ‘Clean and Green Village’ Panchayats aim for 100% ODF villages, solid & liquid waste management, shift to renewable source of energy, enhanced green cover, conservation of biodiversity etc. Representatives from Award winning Panchayats under Healthy Panchayats, Water Sufficient Panchayats, and Clean & Green Panchayats would be expressing their views on achievements and challenges faced in their endeavours.

In addition, dignitaries with extraordinary contributions in these 3 themes would also be participate in the technical sessions. The dignitaries include Padma Shri Popatrao Pawar, former Sarpanch, Hiware Bazar Panchayat, Maharashtra; Ms. Priyanka Tiwari, Sarpanch, Rajpur Gram Panchayat, Hathras, UP, and Ms. Aseena Manaaf, President, Alayamon Gram Panchayat, Kollam, Kerala. Professor Anjan Bhanja, Associate Professor, NIRDPR and Dr. Mallinath Kalshetti, DDG, YASHADA would be moderating the Session I & II during the conference.

Union Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Shri Giriraj Singh would be gracing the occasion with his august presence and would be addressing the PRIs of the country.

Senior Officers from line Ministries/Departments including Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change would be participating in the event. The session would also observe participation from senior officials of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj including Shri Sunil Kumar, Secretary; Ms. Mamta Varma, Joint Secretary; Shri A P Nagar, Joint Secretary and Shri Vikas Anand, Joint Secretary.