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The National Water Awards celebrate exceptional work in water resource management, encouraging innovative practices for a sustainable Read More... water future in India. Read less

Details

India is taking steps to acknowledge and appreciate those who are doing exemplary work in water conservation and management. The National Water Awards aim to highlight innovative techniques and community participation in safeguarding our precious water resources.

What Is This Scheme?

The National Water Awards are a prestigious recognition program designed to encourage all stakeholders – from individuals and local bodies to industries and civil societies – to adopt smart ways of managing water. This includes boosting groundwater through rainwater harvesting, using water more efficiently, recycling it, and promoting awareness among people to ensure our water sources remain healthy for the long run.

Who Can Benefit From This Scheme?

This award is open to a wide range of participants who are actively involved in water conservation and management. This includes states, districts, village councils (Panchayats), city governing bodies (Urban Local Bodies), schools, colleges, various institutions, industries, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), water user associations, and even individuals who have made significant contributions.

Why This Scheme Is Important

Water is the lifeline of our nation. This award program plays a crucial role in promoting a comprehensive approach to water resource management. By recognizing and rewarding best practices, it inspires more people and organizations to contribute to the sustainability of both surface and groundwater, which are vital for India's development and the well-being of its citizens.

Objective

The National Water Awards celebrate exceptional work in water resource management, encouraging innovative practices for a sustainable water future in India.

Benefits

Helps in managing a major portion of solid waste in villages i.e cattle dung and agricultural waste and promotes environmental sanitation.

Substantially reduces vector-borne diseases and promotes public health.

Promotes household income and saving as the use of biogas reduces the expenditure on LPG.

Helps in generating organic manure which enhances agriculture and farm productivity.

Promotes employment and income generation opportunities for SHGs/farmers' groups.

Helps in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promotes environmental sustainability.

Helps to save foreign exchange by reducing the need for the import of natural gas.

Sources and references

Framework For Implementation

Who Can Apply for the National Water Awards?

State Governments
District Administrations
Village Panchayats
Urban Local Bodies
Schools
Colleges
Institutions (other than schools/colleges)
Industries
Civil Society Organizations
Water User Associations
Individuals

How to Apply for the National Water Awards

Interested applicants can submit their applications through the official Rashtriya Puruskar Portal. The steps are generally as follows:

Visit the official website: https://awards.gov.in/
Follow the on-screen instructions to register and complete the application form.
Upload all required documents in the specified format.

Important Note: Detailed guidelines and the application window will be announced on the portal.

Documents Needed for Application

When applying for the National Water Awards, you will typically need to submit the following:

A PowerPoint presentation (around 6 slides) detailing the work you have done. This should be submitted as a soft copy online with your application.
Any supporting evidence, such as newspaper clippings or photographs, related to your work.

FAQ’s

What exactly are the National Water Awards?

The National Water Awards are a special recognition given out to celebrate and acknowledge excellent work done in water resource management, water conservation, and making water resources sustainable across India.

Who is responsible for organizing these awards?

Generally, the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, or other government departments that deal with water resources are the ones who organize the National Water Awards.

What kind of contributions do the awards honor?

The awards recognise efforts in areas like saving water, collecting rainwater, recharging groundwater, using water wisely, treating and reusing wastewater, cleaning up rivers, and promoting community-led water management initiatives.

Can individuals or groups from any Indian state apply?

Yes, absolutely. Projects and initiatives from all states and union territories in India are welcome to apply for the National Water Awards.

Is there a charge to apply for these awards?

Typically, there is no fee required to submit an application for the National Water Awards.

How many winners are usually recognized?

A total of 32 awards are presented.

Who has the authority to nominate someone for an award?

For the 'Best Individual' award, self-nomination is allowed. For other categories, nominations can be made by the Secretary/Principal Secretary of the relevant State Departments, District Collector/District Magistrate, Head of a Body, Principal/Head of a School/College, or the Head of an Institution/Industry/Organisation/Association.

What are the main requirements to be eligible for this scheme?

Eligibility extends to any State, District, Village Panchayat, Urban Local Body, School, College, Institution, Industry, Civil Society, Water User Association, and Individual that has demonstrated commendable work in water conservation and management.

How can one apply for these awards?

You can apply by visiting the official website of the Rashtriya Puruskar Portal at https://awards.gov.in/.