Rajnandgaon to be Honored as Best District in East Zone at 6th National Water Awards
A Model of Excellence in Water Conservation and Public Participation
Raipur, November 12, 2025 / The Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, has announced the winners of the National Water Awards 2024. On this occasion, Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh state has been selected for the first prize in the Best District category in the East Zone of the country. This honor will be conferred upon the district for its sustainable works in water conservation, augmentation, and public participation by the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, on November 18, 2025. It is noteworthy that after nominations from various districts across the country for this award, and subsequent inspections and detailed observations by the Central Ground Water Board, Central Water Commission, and various teams, Rajnandgaon district is being awarded the first prize in the Best District category among all the districts of the five states in the East Zone of the entire country, not just Chhattisgarh. Last year, the Union Minister of Water Resources had visited Rajnandgaon district, obtained information about the efforts of the campaign underway in the district, and also praised Rajnandgaon district on various national platforms.
This Public Participation Based Campaign is a Successful Initiative Towards Water Conservation
In Rajnandgaon district, works related to water conservation and management were carried out as a mission with the cooperation of citizens, public representatives, panchayats, women self-help groups, industrialists, students, and voluntary organizations, along with the government and administration. From villages to cities, citizens have embraced the message ‘Water is Life’ and ‘There is Future if there is Water’, giving the Mission Jal Raksha the form of a public movement. Continuous efforts are being made to improve the water level in the district through crop cycle changes, rainwater harvesting, and groundwater recharge by farmers. In the 2021-22 report of the Central Ground Water Board, three blocks of the district were identified as semi-critical zones. A semi-critical zone means an area where more than 70 percent of water is utilized. Keeping this situation in mind, the district started this campaign with the extensive efforts of Mission Jal Raksha, and it is now recognized as a model across the country. The district’s priority in this scheme is to first slow down the rate of rapidly declining water levels, then stabilize it at a certain level, and thereafter conserve this precious natural heritage by preventing excessive groundwater exploitation. For this, it is imperative that every citizen, starting today, pays attention to groundwater exploitation in their surrounding areas, uses groundwater minimally, and promotes crops that require less water.
Women’s groups worked extensively to create public awareness for water conservation through campaigns like ‘Neer aur Nari Jal Yatra’ (Water and Woman Water Journey). The special support of the district’s Padma Shri Smt. Phoolbasan Bai Yadav was instrumental in this. She traveled from village to village in the district, uniting women and strengthening the campaign through water journeys. Students from all schools and colleges in the district inspired society towards water conservation through rallies, tree plantation, various competitions, and awareness programs.
Mission Jal Raksha – Emerging as an Innovative Initiative Towards Sustainable Development
Transforming the challenge of rapidly declining water levels into efforts, the district prioritized works such as GIS-based technical plans, recharge structures, recharge wells, borewell cum injection wells, percolation tanks, farm ponds, and rejuvenation of ponds. Within the mission, groundwater exploitation control, rainwater harvesting, and community efforts have been adopted as key strategies for water conservation.
National Recognition Achieved Through Community Efforts
This national honor being received by Rajnandgaon district is the result of the collective efforts of the citizens, public representatives, and all stakeholders of the district. By putting the spirit of ‘Save Water, Build Future’ into practice through shared endeavors, the district has proven that conservation of any resource is possible through public participation. Furthermore, at the same program organized in New Delhi on November 18, 2025, Rajnandgaon district is also to be honored in another area related to public participation in water conservation. These achievements of Rajnandgaon are now being established as an ideal model before the entire country. This honor is not only a symbol of the district’s accomplishments but also conveys a message of sustainable water management and collective responsibility for future generations.
