LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh has won the first position in the Union ministry of Jal Shakti’s National Water Awards 2020 in the category of ‘best state’. This is the third edition of the award which is given to a state for adopting a holistic approach towards management of water resources. This year, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu bagged the second and third prizes respectively in the best state category. In all, 57 awards were given under 11 categories including best district, panchayat and best industries.
UP Jal Shakti minister Mahendra Singh said that the award for north zone district category was given to Muzaffarnagar. Balua, in Varanasi, won the award for ‘best village panchayat in north zone’.
‘Work underway to build 269 check dams, 219 ponds’
Under the visionary leadership of chief minister Yogi Adityanath, the state is striving towards conserving water and also to create awareness among people about its importance and motivating them to adopt best water usage practices,” a government spokesperson said.
Among the major achievements quoted by the state government this year-these have been recognised by the Centre-is the effective abatement of pollution in the Ganga, its conservation and rejuvenation. The spokesperson said that 104 sewage treatment plants with a combined capacity of 3,298 million litres per day have been set up, leading to a major improvement in the water quality of major rivers, including the Ganga. Under Namami Gange, various drains have been trapped and sewage is treated before being discharged into the river
In addition, the spokesperson said, the department of rural water supply has completed preparations to connect more than 18 lakh families with water supply in the first phase of Har Ghar Nal Yojana under Jeevan Mission and the Namami Gange programme. “Once water supply is operational, millions of villagers residing in hundreds of villages of Bundelkhand and Vindhyachal regions will get clean drinking water in their homes, which will also reduce the risk of waterborne diseases that they have been exposed to in the past due to non-availability of safe potable water,” the spokesperson said.
To address the problem of water shortage in Bundelkhand, the CM started a ‘Har Khet Ko Pani’ scheme to extend irrigation facility to various areas under this region. Emphasis is also being laid on setting up rainwater harvesting structures to conserve water. Under this, work is taking place to build 269 check dams and 219 ponds.
[ad_2]

Originally Appeared Here