National Water Awards- 3rd National Water Awards was announced by Jal Shakti Ministry

National Water Awards- Relevance for UPSC Exam

• GS Paper 2: Governance, Administration and Challenges- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

National Water Awards- Context

• Recently, the Union Minister of Jal Shakti announced the 3rd National Water Awards-2020.
• In the Best State category, Uttar Pradesh has been awarded first prize, followed by Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

The Editorial Analysis: Aiding in governance

National Water Awards- Key Points

• About: National Water Awards were instituted to recognize and encourage exemplary work and efforts made by States, Districts, individuals, organizations, etc. across the country in attaining the vision of a ‘Jal Samridh Bharat’.
• Beginning: The first National Water Award was launched by the Jal Shakti Ministry in 2018. The second National Water Award was held in 2019.
• Parent Ministry: The National Water awards are organized by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• Award Categories: Ministry of Jal Shakti is giving 57 awards to States, Organizations, Individuals, etc. in 11 different categories-
  1. Best State,
  2. Best District,
  3. Best Village Panchayat,
  4. Best Urban Local Body,
  5. Best Media (Print & Electronic),
  6. Best School,
  7. Best Institution/RWA/Religious organization for Campus usage,
  8. Best Industry,
  9. Best NGO,
  10. Best Water User Association, and
  11. Best Industry for CSR Activity.
• Award Prize: National Water Awards consist of a citation, trophy and cash prize.

Depletion of Groundwater Level: Steps by Government

National Water Awards- Key Objectives

• Recognition: National Water Awards to recognize the efforts of people/organizations working in this field throughout the country across various categories to cover the maximum area possible.
• Promote Holistic and Participative Approach: National Water Awards encourages all stakeholders including the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Gram Panchayats, Urban Local Bodies, individuals, etc. for-
  • Adopting innovative practices of groundwater augmentation by rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge,
  • Promoting water use efficiency, recycling & re-use of water.
• Awareness Generation: National Water Awards also aims to create awareness through people’s participation in the targeted areas resulting into-
  • The sustainability of groundwater resources development,
  • Adequate capacity building amongst the stakeholders etc.

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) Extended for 2021-26

National Water Awards- Need for Water Conservation and Sustainable Use

• Growing Water Needs: India’s current water requirement is estimated to be around 1,100 billion cubic meters per year, projected to go up to 1,447 billion cubic meters by 2050.
• Limited Water Resources: While India has more than 18% of the world’s population, it has only 4% of the world’s renewable water resources.
• Over-use and Climate Change: Over-use of India’s limited water resources along with reduced water supplies due to climate change is pushing India to a point of water scarcity.

One District One Product (ODOP) Scheme

One District One Product (ODOP) Scheme

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