Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone & Khandwa districts honored at 6th National Water Awards 2025 for excellence in water conservation and Jal Sanchay initiatives.
Madhya Pradesh’s efforts to conserve water have once again earned them national recognition. The National Water Awards 2025 were announced in New Delhi by Shri C.R. Patil, Union Minister for Jal Shakti. Madhya Pradesh won awards in two different categories. Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone district was named the best district in the eastern region, and Khandwa district’s Kaveshwar Gram Panchayat shared second place in the Best Gram Panchayat category. President Smt. On November 18, 2025, Droupadi Murmu will present the prizes.
Dr. Mohan Yadav, the chief minister, hailed the districts that received the awards. In the “Jal Sanchay, Jal Bhagidari” campaign, Madhya Pradesh has also taken the lead. East Nimar won first place in Category 1 in the South Zone, and Guna was named one of the top 50 urban bodies. Districts Guna, Betul, Dhar, Dewas, Seoni, and Khargone placed second in Category 3.
Notably, the Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, has announced 46 winners for the 6th National Water Awards in 2024. Best State, Best District, Best Gram Panchayat, Best Urban Local Body, Best School/College, Best Industry, Best Water Users Association, Best Institution (apart from schools/colleges), Best Civil Society, and Best Individual for Excellence in the Water Sector are the ten categories in which these awards are given out.
The Ministry of Jal Shakti has been conducting a national campaign to raise awareness about water management and conservation under the direction of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
In order to achieve this goal, the National Water Awards were established in 2018 with the intention of increasing public awareness of the value of water and promoting the adoption of best practices for its usage.
The 6th National Water Awards were introduced for the 2024 edition on October 23, 2024, via the Ministry of Home Affairs’ National Awards Portal. An expert team analyzed and assessed the 751 applications that were received. The Central Water Commission and the Central Ground Water Board further reviewed the applications that made the short list. Forty-six finalists were chosen for the 2024 National Water Awards based on their final reports.
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In addition to realizing the government’s vision of a “Water Prosperous India,” the National Water Awards seek to raise public awareness of the value of water and motivate individuals to adopt the best water-use practices. Additionally, this program improves collaborations and public involvement in conservation and management efforts for water resources.
Additionally, Madhya Pradesh is in the forefront of the Jal Sanchay, Jal Bhagidari initiative.
East Nimar won first place in the South Zone’s Category 1 under the Catch the Rain program, Guna was named one of the top 50 urban bodies, and districts Guna, Betul, Dhar, Dewas, Seoni, and Khargone were chosen for the second position in Category 3.
States were split up into five zones under this program, and districts were urged to build at least 10,000 man-made groundwater recharge and storage structures. The goal was 3,000 constructions for hilly and northeastern districts and 10,000 structures for municipal corporations nationwide. These include reviving lakes, ponds, and stepwells, as well as rainwater gathering devices.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs collaborated with the Ministry of Jal Shakti to encourage urban local governments to construct a minimum of 2,000 recharge structures in order to bolster urban water conservation initiatives.
Three Best States, 67 Districts, 6 Municipal Corporations, 1 Urban Local Body, 2 Partner Ministries/Departments, 2 Industries, 3 Non-Governmental Organizations, 2 Philanthropists, and 14 Nodal Officers are among the 100 honors announced this year.