Background and Purpose
6th National Water Awards 2024 Winners Announced: The 6th edition of the National Water Awards (for 2024) marks a major milestone in recognising exemplary efforts in water resource management across India. These awards were announced on 11 November 2025 by Union Minister C.R. Paatil at Shram Shakti Bhawan, New Delhi. The formal award ceremony will be held on 18 November 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, where President Droupadi Murmu will confer the honours.
The National Water Awards were instituted in 2018 under the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR) within the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Their aim is to encourage individuals, local bodies, institutions, and industries to adopt innovative and effective water-management practices and build a “Jal Samridh Bharat” (Water-Prosperous India).
Static GK fact: The DoWR, RD & GR is the nodal department for water resource regulation and river development in India.
For the 2024 edition, around 751 applications were submitted through the Rashtriya Puraskar Portal of the Ministry of Home Affairs. These were evaluated by the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) through field verification and assessment. In total, 46 winners across 10 categories were selected.
Key Winners and Highlights
- In the Best State category, Maharashtra secured the top rank, while Gujarat and Haryana placed second and third respectively.
- For Best Urban Local Body (ULB), the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (Maharashtra) ranked first, followed by Bhavnagar Municipal Corporation (Gujarat) in second place, and a joint third place shared by Nabadiganta Industrial Township Authority (West Bengal) and Agra Municipal Corporation (Uttar Pradesh).
- In the Best Village Panchayat category, Dubbiganipalli (Andhra Pradesh) and Payam (Kerala) shared the top rank, while villages from Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Chhattisgarh secured the remaining positions.
- Under the Best Institution (Other than School/College) category, IIT Gandhinagar (Gujarat) and ICAR Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (Goa) jointly topped the Inside Campus category.
- The Best Industry award went to Apollo Tyres Ltd., Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu), followed by Hero MotoCorp Ltd. (Haryana) and Jhajjar Power Ltd. (Haryana).
Significance
The National Water Awards serve as a platform for sharing successful models of water conservation, ground-water recharge, rainwater harvesting, and wastewater reuse. They also foster collaboration among government agencies, industries, and civil society in addressing India’s water challenges.
Static GK Tip: SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals focuses on ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all — a goal strongly aligned with India’s Jal Shakti Mission.
Static Usthadian Current Affairs Table
6th National Water Awards 2024 Winners Announced:
| Topic | Detail |
| Award edition | 6th National Water Awards (for 2024) |
| Announced on | 11 November 2025 |
| Ceremony date & venue | 18 November 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi |
| Organising ministry | Ministry of Jal Shakti (DoWR, RD & GR) |
| Number of winners | 46 winners across 10 categories |
| Number of applications | 751 applications received |
| Best State winner | Maharashtra |
| Key objective | Promote water conservation and sustainable management |
| Evaluation agencies | Central Water Commission (CWC) and Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) |
| Alignment with SDG | SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation |
