New Delhi: The Ministry of Jal Shakti, under the Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR), announced the winners of the Sixth National Water Awards 2024 today at Shram Shakti Bhawan in New Delhi. Central Water Resources Secretary V.L. Kanta Rao, alongside Union Minister of Jal Shakti Mr. C.R. Patil, State Minister Mr. Raj Bhushan Chaudhary, and other senior officials, unveiled the list of 46 winners, including joint winners, across 10 categories.
The awards aim to recognize outstanding contributions to water conservation, management, and sustainable utilization by states, districts, urban local bodies, institutions, industries, civil society organizations, and individuals.
Award Categories and Top Winners
The awards cover 10 major categories:
- Best State: Maharashtra (1st), Gujarat (2nd), Haryana (3rd)
- Best Districts: Rajnandgaon (Chhattisgarh), Khargone (Madhya Pradesh), Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh), Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu), Sipahijala (Tripura)
- Best Urban Local Bodies: Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra, 1st), Bhavnagar (Gujarat, 2nd), Agra (UP, 3rd – joint)
- Best Institutions (other than schools/colleges): IIT Gandhinagar (Gujarat, 1st – joint), ICAR – Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (Goa, 1st – joint)
- Best Water User Associations: Vettaiyarpudur Canal WUA (Tamil Nadu, 1st), Kanifnath WUA (Maharashtra, 2nd), Kharlon WUA (Rajasthan, 3rd)
- Best Civil Society Organizations: Banaskantha District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union (Gujarat, 1st), Ambuja Foundation (Rajasthan, 2nd), Art of Living (Karnataka, 3rd)
- Best Gram Panchayats: Dubbiganipalli, Annamayya (Andhra Pradesh, 1st – joint), Payam, Kannur (Kerala, 1st – joint)
- Best Schools/Colleges: Krishna Public School (Chhattisgarh, 1st – joint), Army Public School, Kolkata (1st – joint)
- Best Industries: Apollo Tyres Ltd. (Tamil Nadu, 1st), Hero MotoCorp Ltd. (Haryana, 2nd), Jhajjar Power Ltd. (Haryana, 3rd)
- Best Individual for Excellence in Water Sector: Kishore Jaiswal (Bihar, 1st), Bajrang Lal Jaithu (Rajasthan, 1st), Mohan Chandra Kandpal (Uttarakhand, 1st), Podili Rajasekhar Raju (Andhra Pradesh, 1st)
Award Ceremony Details
The award distribution ceremony will be held on November 18, 2025, at 11:30 AM in the Plenary Hall of Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. The President of India, Smt. Draupadi Murmu, will be the chief guest for the event. Winners will receive certificates, trophies, and, in some categories, cash prizes.
Background and Significance
The National Water Awards, initiated in 2018 by the DoWR, aim to recognize and promote best practices in water management and conservation across India. The awards encourage awareness and active participation among individuals, organizations, and communities to adopt sustainable water-use practices.
For 2024, the awards received 751 applications, which were evaluated by a specialized jury and verified on the ground by the Central Water Commission (CWC) and Central Ground Water Board (CGWB). Based on the verification, a total of 46 winners, including joint winners, were selected across the 10 categories.
The awards align with the government’s vision of a ‘Water Prosperous India’ and provide an opportunity to strengthen public engagement and partnerships in water resource management.
