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National Water Award: UP bags second place for connecting over 17,900 villages to tap water in 2023
As of October 22, 2024, the state has connected 2.27 crore rural households with tap water, benefiting 13.66 crore people under the Jal Jeevan Mission’s Har Ghar Nal scheme.
Uttar Pradesh has been conferred with the National Water Award for its outstanding work in water management and conservation, securing second place in the country. Odisha bagged the first prize, while Gujarat and Puducherry shared the third spot.
President Droupadi Murmu presented the award at the 5th National Water Awards ceremony held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday. Anurag Srivastava and Balakar Singh received the award on behalf of Uttar Pradesh.
A state government spokesperson stated that UP has made significant strides in providing household tap connections in rural areas and has implemented impressive water conservation and management initiatives under the leadership of chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
President Murmu praised UP’s efforts in providing tap water to every household and its innovative water conservation measures. During the event, Union Jal Shakti minister CR Patil also commended the state’s work in providing household tap connections and water conservation efforts in the Bundelkhand and Vindhya regions.
The state received the award for achieving a remarkable feat in 2023 by providing tap water connections to more than 17,900 villages, setting a record for the fastest implementation of the Har Ghar Nal scheme.
Balakar Singh, the then managing director of Jal Nigam (Rural) UP, implemented several innovative measures for water conservation and management, significantly benefiting farmers by improving irrigation facilities. Over 6,000 check dams and 1,000 ponds were constructed to enhance irrigation infrastructure.
The state also made major advancements in rainwater harvesting, constructing structures in 31,360 government buildings. Additionally, 27,368 traditional water bodies were restored, and 17,279 Amrit Sarovars were built. As a result, five blocks in the state were removed from the over-exploited and critical categories between 2022 and 2023, and groundwater levels improved in 34 cities.
Furthermore, the state has made strides in wastewater management, constructing 133 sewage treatment plants (STPs) with a combined capacity of 4,100 MLD to reduce pollution in the Ganga River.
As of October 22, 2024, the state has connected 2.27 crore rural households with tap water, benefiting 13.66 crore people under the Jal Jeevan Mission’s Har Ghar Nal scheme.
Meanwhile, Banda from UP received the Best District award for showcasing exceptional efforts in water management and conservation. Former DM of Banda, Durga Shakti Nagpal, received the award from the President.
Achievement reflects govt’s prioritisation, says CM
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath, in a post on the social media platform X, stated that President Droupadi Murmu has awarded UP second place in the Best State category and Banda district the Best District (North Zone) award under the 5th National Water Award-2023 in New Delhi today.
Under the esteemed guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, unprecedented work is being carried out in the field of ‘Jal Shakti’ in Uttar Pradesh. This achievement reflects the government’s prioritisation of water conservation, management, and active public participation, he said.
Hearty congratulations to the people of the state and to all those involved in this sacred mission of water conservation and promotion, he added.
