AWARDS AND HONOURS

National Water Awards:

• This award was announced by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• Tirunelveli has received the award for the best district in the southern region.

Purpose

• The National Water Awards are given in recognition of the good work and efforts undertaken to achieve the vision of the Central Government of “Water-rich India”.

• These awards are given to create awareness among the public by highlighting the importance of water and encouraging them to adopt best practices in water use.

• The awards have been announced in a total of 10 categories including Best State, Best District, Best Village Panchayat, Best Urban Local Body, Best Water User Association.

Water Conservation Projects

• Telangana tops, Coimbatore second
• Under the Central Government’s ‘People’s Participation in Water Conservation’ initiative, the states have been divided into 5 zones
• Districts are encouraged to set up at least 10,000 water conservation structures.
• The Central Government provides incentives to awardees for constructing, renovating and maintaining artificial groundwater conservation structures such as rooftop rainwater harvesting.

In water conservation projects,

• Telangana has topped.
• Chhattisgarh has come second,
• Rajasthan has come third.

In the Southern Zone,

• Coimbatore has come second,
• Namakkal has come 10th and
• Ramanathapuram has come 13th.

• These awards will be presented along with the National Water Awards on 18th November at the Republic Day Chairman Thirupathi Murmu will deliver.

Thotta Dharani to be awarded ‘Chevalier’

• Art director Thotta Dharani has been awarded the ‘Chevalier’ award, the highest recognition of the French government.
• Thotta Dharani, who created the painting ‘Periyar E.V.R. Illuminated in Oxford’, has been awarded the ‘Chevalier’ award, the highest recognition of the French government.