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.