Uttar Pradesh has been conferred with the prestigious ‘National Water Award’ for its work in water management and conservation under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The state has secured second position in water conservation and management in the country.

Meanwhile, Odisha has bagged the first prize in water conservation and management, 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.

Additional Chief Secretary, Namami Gange and Rural Water Supply, Anurag Srivastava, and Housing Commissioner Dr Balakar Singh received the award on behalf of Uttar Pradesh.

Notably, UP has made significant strides in providing household tap connections in rural areas and implementing impressive water conservation and management initiatives under Yogi’s leadership in recent years.

President Murmu praised Uttar Pradesh’s efforts in providing tap water to every household and its innovative experiments in water conservation.

During the programme, Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil also commended Uttar Pradesh’s work in providing household tap connections and water conservation efforts in Bundelkhand and Vindhya regions.

The state bagged 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 Se Jal’ scheme.

Acting on the instructions of the Yogi government, Dr 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. To enhance irrigation infrastructure, over 6,000 check dams and 1,000 ponds were constructed.

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 the groundwater level improved in 34 cities.

The state has also 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.

The award recognises Uttar Pradesh’s efforts in providing clean drinking water to rural households. 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 Jal’ scheme.

Meanwhile, Banda from Uttar Pradesh bagged 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.

The ‘National Water Awards’ started in 2018 to promote water conservation in line with the government's vision of a ‘Jal Samridh Bharat’.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took to social media platform X, stating, “President Draupadi Murmu has awarded Uttar Pradesh the second position 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 @narendramodi ji, 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. Hearty congratulations to the people of the state and to all those involved in this sacred mission of water conservation and promotion!”