National Water Award announced raking Odisha first, UP second; Read where other states are in the list
Odisha, which was once in the news for its water crisis, has received the National Water Award from the Central Government. Odisha left Uttar Pradesh behind in the category of best state. Puducherry and Gujarat have jointly been at the third position. Union Water Power Minister CR Patil announced the National Water Awards on Monday.
The Central Government has given the National Water Award to Odisha, which was previously in the news for its water issue. Odisha left Uttar Pradesh behind in the category of best state. Together, Gujarat and Puducherry have held the third spot. The National Water Awards were announced on Monday by Union Water Power Minister CR Patil. On October 22, President Draupadi Murmu will present these honors in the capital. This time around, Odisha has dominated the Water Awards.
There is a chance for its district Balagir to win the eastern region. In addition, a school in Mayurbhanj managed to secure third place in the best school or college category, and Odisha's Puri came in second among the best urban areas. In this category, Government Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya B-3 Paschim Vihar came in second, while a government school in Sikar took first place.
The ten-member jury chose Odisha for first place because of the state's outstanding efforts in water conservation and storage over the past year, according to Ministry Secretary Devashree Mukherjee. Giving specifics, Devashree stated that other states should learn from the state's progress.
53000 water-saving and rainwater-harvesting structures have been constructed in this state. 11,000 traditional water sources have been restored, and 10,800 structures for reuse and recharge have been constructed. Additionally, Odisha has excelled in micro irrigation and the PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana.
40,000 hectares of land have been spared from waterlogging as a result of the 1800 km of drainage line being repaired. North, South, East, West, and Northeast were the five zones in which the Best District award was given. The first prize was shared by Banda in the north and the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir, and Indore in the west. The South's Visakhapatnam prevailed. The top three cities in the Best Urban Local Body rankings were Pune, Puri, and Surat, respectively.
