CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has bagged the best State award for water management for the year 2019. The State has secured the first place under the Normal Category in the National Water Awards besides securing significant places under the categories - Best District in Revival of River, Water Conservation, Best Urban Local Body, Best Research/Innovation/adaptation of New Technology for Water Conservation and Best Water Warriors.
In all 98 awards in 16 different categories presented for various States, Tamil Nadu won 11 prizes under five key categories.
The awards will be presented during the two-day ceremony to be held through virtual platform on November 11 and 12 in the presence of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Environment, Prakash Javadekar. On behalf of Tamil Nadu government, PWD Secretary K Manivasan will be receiving the Best State award.
Under the category 'Revival of River', Vellore and Karur districts have been chosen for the first and second position, while Perambalur district has been chosen for second prize under the category 'Water Conservation' at the national level.
Under the Water Conservation category for the South, Sasthavinathur village panchayat in Thoothukudi district was chosen for the first place.
Under the Best Urban Local Body which took water conservation efforts, Madurai Corporation has won the second prize. Last year, Madurai district won the first prize for rejuvenating and creating new water bodies.
Under the Best Research/Innovation/adaptation of New Technology for Water Conservation category, Hari Kuppuswamy, ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, T Pradeep, IIT Chennai and Va Tech Wabag Limited, Sunnambu Kolathur, Chennai have bagged the first three places.
Under the Best Water Warrior category in South Zone, Manikandan, Coordinator, Kovai Kulangal Pathukappu Amaippu, Coimbatore and Professor Sakthinathan Ganapathy Pandian, CWG Campus, Anna University have won the top two places.
Indira Gandhi Government High School, Katterikuppam, Puducherry has been chosen for first prize in the Best School category.
A top official of the State government told The New Indian Express that the Tamil Nadu government has submitted detailed documents on all water conservation efforts going on in the State when nominations for the National Water Awards were called for.
“The achievements in water conservation initiatives being implemented with community participation, the Kudimaramath scheme aimed at increasing the storage level of water bodies while being beneficial to the farmers, renovation of major water courses in the State for which works are on by allocating huge sums, groundwater recharge structures created in large numbers, ongoing works for constructing check dams etc. were highlighted in the proposal sent for the National Water Awards.
The official also said ongoing flood mitigation works to avoid damages during the monsoon periods, measures to check sea-water intrusion in many coastal areas, new schemes being implemented, steps taken for rehabilitation of major dams, progress made in Tamil Nadu Water Resources Conservation and Augmentation Mission, how the groundwater table in the State has gone up due to these measures, improvements and achievements made in micro-irrigation scheme, awareness programmes about water conservation, creation of farm ponds etc., were also highlighted.
The key achievements of the state government in water conservation and improvement areas include renovation of 6,278 water resources at a cost of Rs 1,433 crore through the Kudimaramath scheme, distribution of nutrient soil removed from these water bodies to 6.69 lakh farmers, allocation of Rs 1,000 crore constructing check dams, implementation of the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Conservation and Augmentation Mission, Nadanthai Vazhi Cauvery scheme to renovate Cauvery river and its subsidiaries, Cauvery-Gundar linking project and allocation of Rs.700 crore in the first phase, desilting of water bodies in Delta areas (Rs. 130.20 crore), Athikadavu-Avinashi Scheme (Rs. 1,652 crore), Sarabanga Lift Irrigation Project (Rs.565 crore), renovation and modernisation of watercourses at a total cost of Rs. 750 crore, construction of barrages across Coleroon river at Adhanur (Rs. 494.60 crore), at Mukkombu (Rs. 387 crore) and at Pugalur (Rs. 406.50 crore), creation of 10,000 farm ponds, etc,.