New Delhi, 14 December: In a resolute commitment to championing water conservation initiatives and fostering a collective consciousness towards building a “Jal Atmanirbhar Bharat”, the 4th Edition of Jal Prahari Samman Samaroh was held on December 13, 2023, at the New Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi. This prestigious event was organized with the support of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, in collaboration with UNOPS, National Jal Jeevan Mission, National Water Mission, CEEW, German GiZ, and NIUA as Knowledge Partners.
Under the theme of ‘Jal Atmanirbhar Bharat,’ the event celebrated water conservation efforts from all over India. Over 32 water conservators from across the country were felicitated with the esteemed Jal Prahari honour to acknowledge the tremendous efforts that they have put in over the years.
The Chief Guest for the event was Shri Parbhat Bhai Patel, MP (LS). Distinguished Guests of Honour included, Shri Gopzzl Shetty, MP (LS); Shri Unmesh Patil, MP (LS); Shri Parvesh Verma, MP (LS); Shri Ramesh Bidhuri, MP (LS); and Shri Balbir Singh Seechewal, MP (RS) and few other experts constituted the part of invitee list.
In his address, Shri Parbhat Bhai Patel, MP (LS) said, “The Indian government is actively addressing water scarcity by collaborating with various stakeholders. In the past year, initiatives such as reviving old water bodies, creating new ponds and lakes, and expediting river rejuvenation projects have been undertaken to make India a resilient and water-secure nation..”
Shri Bhagwat Karad, Minister of State for Finance said, “The partnership of the government, and the general public is crucial to counter the water crisis that our country faces. Only by leveraging the partnership with the public, it can be possible to ensure 24 hours supply of clean water to all areas.”
Shri Ramesh Bidhuri, MP (LS) addressed the audience by sharing the following information, “About 16 ponds have been renovated in South Delhi areas and in the coming days, more than a dozen new ponds will be ready which were almost dysfunctional earlier.”
The individuals honoured have made significant contributions to raising awareness and addressing water conservation issues, furthering the vision of a self-reliant and water-conscious India.
In a joint statement, Ameya Sathaye, CEO & Editor-in-Chief and Anil Sagar, Convenor emphasized addressing knowledge gaps in water conservation. Highlighting climate change’s impact on erratic weather patterns, they stressed the importance of the Jal Prahari initiative for awareness. Sagar underscored collaboration among stakeholders to address global water challenges. Commending honored Jal Praharis, he expressed anticipation for their ongoing guidance in inspiring contributions to this vital cause.
The event backed by Jalprahari.in and Sarkaritel.com aimed to demonstrate their continuous commitment to advancing water conservation initiatives, and contributing significantly to the transformation of our nation.
The event featured three insightful panel discussions on crucial topics such as COP28 & Water Partnership for Sustainable Development Goals, Harnessing Digital Technology for Integrated Water Resources Management/River Rejuvenation, and Flood, Drought, and Climate Change Mitigation.
Senior government officials and experts in the field of water conservation participated in these panel discussions that were followed by the Ambassadors session.
The Ambassadors session witnessed participation by renowned global personalities, including H.E. Mr. Freddy Svane, Ambassador of Denmark to India; H.E. Mr. Lukmon Bobokalonzoda, Ambassador of Tajikistan to India; H.E. Mr. Reuben Gauci, High Commissioner of Malta to India; and H.E. Mr. Aziz Baratov, Chargé d’affaires, Embassy of Uzbekistan in India.
Here is a list of the water warriors who received the prestigious Water Sentinel Award.
- Smt. Bedashree Choudhury, Director (Climate Action), Bongaigaon, Assam
- Shri Ajay Sahay, Programme Office, Muzaffarpur, Bihar
- Shri Bhagwan Rana, President, New Delhi
- Dr. (Smt.) Meena Jangid, Traditional Water Practitioner, Sambhal, New Delhi
- Dr. (Smt.) Bhakti Lata, Founder, Jal Smruti Foundation, New Delhi
- Shri Dhumman Singh Kirmach, Deputy Chairman, Kurukshetra, Haryana
- Shri Yashu Deep Singh (IFS), DCF, Himachal Pradesh
- Shri Ruhail Maqbool Sheikh, Water Quality Analyst, Jammu and Kashmir
- Smt. Shilpa Nag, IAS, District Collector, Chamrajnagar, Karnataka
- Shri. S Krishna Chaitanya (IAS), Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
- Shri Gunvant Chindha Sonawane, Founder, Pune, Maharashtra
- Shri Prashant Gadekar (IRS), Pune, Maharashtra
- Shri Sharad Agarwal, Sector Head, Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Shri Suresh Patil, Pune, Maharashtra
- Shri Vaijinath Jagannath Ghongade, President, Sangola, Maharashtra
- Shri Shekhar Narayanrao Nimbalkar, Jalgaon, Maharashtra
- Shri Sunil Prabhakar, Journalist, Punjab
- Shri Arvind Saxena, Superintendent Engineer, Rural Development Department, Government of Rajasthan, Rajasthan
- Shri Deepak Sahu, Water Department Incharge, Sirohi, Rajasthan
- Shri Girish Shah, Gujarat/ Rajasthan
- Shri Dilip Sakhiya, President, Rajkot, Gujarat
- Shri S. Arumugam, Vice President, Kumuthi, Tamil Nadu
- Shri B. Murugesh (IAS), District Collector, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu
- Shri Nimal Raghavan, Co-Founder, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu
- Shri G. S. Priyadarshi (IAS), Commissioner, Lucknow, UP
- Shri Kuldeep Meena (IAS), CDO, Bulandshahr, UP
- Smt. Laxmi Nagappan (IAS), CDO, Kanpur Dehat, UP
- Shri Manish Bansal (IAS), Bahjoi, UP
- Shri. Pulkit Khare (IAS), Greater Noida, UP
- Shri Rambabu Tiwari, Water Activist, Banda, UP
- Smt. Shruti Sharma Pandya, District Magistrate, Fatehpur, UP
- Shri Jagdish Singh Negi, President, Nainital, Uttarakhand
