NEW DELHI: The third National Water awards were held in New Delhi on March 29, 2022. President of India Ram Nath Kovind presented the awards and launched ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain Campaign 2022’. The awards were constituted in 2018 by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India and recognizes efforts in water conservation and water resource management by states, urban and rural local bodies, and other organizations. A total of 57 awards were presented across 11 categories.
Some of the awardees were:
Best State – Uttar Pradesh
Best Urban Local Body – Vapi Urban Local Body, Gujarat
Best NGO – Gramvikas Sanstha, Aurangabad
Best Industry – Trident Ltd, Punjab
Best Industry for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Activities – HAL, Bengaluru, Karnataka
Best Institution/RWA/Religious organization for Campus usage – Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Jammu
Best Water User Association – Panch Gachiya, Hoogly, West Bangal
In addition to the awards, ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain Campaign 2022’ was also launched by the President. He urged everyone to work on this campaign with dedication and make it a success, emphasising the role of sarpanchs and district magistrates for motivation and involvement of communities.