Bhubaneswar: Odisha has been adjudged as the 'Best State' in the 5th National Water Awards for its water conservation activities during the last few years.

While Uttar Pradesh secured the second position, Gujarat and Puducherry were jointly placed in the third position.

Union Minister of Jal Shakti, CR Paatil announced the winners of the 5th National Water Awards at Shram Shakti Bhawan, New Delhi on Monday.

Balangir district of Odisha was adjudged as the Best District in the East Zone while Puri secured the second position in the Best Urban Local Body category.

Khairbani Ashram School in Baisinga, Mayurbhanj was placed third in the Best School or College category.

Odisha has made significant progress in water conservation in recent years. The state has built around 53,000 water conservation and rainwater harvesting structures, along with 10,800 reuse and recharge structures. Additionally, 11,000 traditional water bodies have been renovated, and watershed development has been carried out over 68,700 locations. Odisha has also completed the construction of 21,000 wastewater treatment plants.

The renovation of 1,800 km of drainage channels has helped recover about 39,000 hectares of agricultural land from waterlogging. Over 90,900 hectares of irrigated land have been converted from conventional methods to micro-irrigation systems, such as sprinklers and drip systems, benefiting around 87,000 farmers. The state has also planted 9 crore trees under intensive afforestation efforts.

Furthermore, the Mukhyamantri Adibandha Tiari Yojana has been implemented to develop check dams and minor irrigation projects.

The National Water Awards focus on the good work and efforts made by individuals and organisations across the country in attaining the government’s vision of a ‘Jal Samridh Bharat’. The awards are for creating awareness among the people about the importance of water and motivating them to adopt the best water usage practices.