ONGOLE: Murugammi Gram Panchayat in PC Palli mandal, Prakasam district, won the “National level 2nd Best Water Conservation Panchayat Award” for its extensive natural water conservation practices.
The village has restored around 8.21 lakh cubic metres of water through check dams, rainwater harvesting ponds, dugout ponds and other watershed structures.
Prakasam district DWMA Project Director Gangavarapu Joseph Kumar said, “Murugammi Gram Panchayat was situated in a remote backward area of western Prakasam region, surrounded by hilly, rocky terrain. We have planned and executed the ‘Ridge to Valley’ water restoration method with about 50 works by spending Rs 97 lakh to restore around 8.21 lakh cubic metres of water.”
He added, “As we submitted our proposals, the Central Jal Sakti, Water Resources Department expert team visited Murugammi Gram Panchayat last August. Based on its report, the Central Jal Sakti Department announced the winners for the 6th National Water Awards-2024. Murugammi Gram Panchayat won second best village in the Gram Panchayat category. Podili Raja Sekhar Raju also won the Best Individual for Excellence in the Water Sector category. The awardees will be facilitated with a trophy, citation and Rs 1.5 lakh cash reward on November 18 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. We received information that the award will be presented by the President of India.”
Prakasam native Podili Raja Sekhar Raju also received the South Zone Best Individual Award for excellence in the water sector. He has worked on water conservation projects across various locations, both individually and with several NGOs.
With technical and financial support from the District Water Management Agency, field officials initiated conservation of water bodies in and around the village.
Using watershed funds and assistance from other government departments, they completed 51 water resource projects under the ‘Ridge to Valley’ method at an estimated cost of Rs 97 lakh. These efforts enriched groundwater sources and supplied drinking and irrigation water for the village.