Assam – India best known NGO S M Sehgal Foundation wins 2nd National Water Awards by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India. This prestigious honor (third prize) comes to Sehgal Foundation for Best NGO Water Conservation for our work in integrated water management across eight states of India.
Sh. Rattan Lal Kataria, Hon’ble Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Government of India did the honors on the second day of the awards ceremony. Recently Sehgal Foundation has been awarded the prestigious Citizen Diplomacy Award in USA for its human rights and women empowerment work in rural Indian communities.
The awards event was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Vice President of India Sh. M Venkaiah Naidu. and presided over by Sh. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti, Government of India.
Sh. U P Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, shared that the ministry received over 1100 nominations. The awards winners were selected by a screening committee and jury constituted for the awards.
The awards are given to motivate individuals/organizations who are doing commendable work in the field of water resources conservation and management. Also, it strives to create awareness among the people about the importance of water and motivate them to adopt the best water usage practices.
Ms. Anjali Makhija, Chief Operating Officer, S M Sehgal Foundation, dedicated the award to the rural communities, which have walked hand-in-hand for integrated water management in villages. She shared that this recognition will encourage us to further strengthen our work.
The Water Management program at the foundation encourages communities to harvest and store rainwater for direct use and/or replenish groundwater by building and restoring infrastructure in villages. The program supports revival of traditional water bodies, construction of water storage infrastructures, and safe disposal of wastewater.
Safe drinking water for all is promoted with innovative low-cost, sustainable technologies and promotion of WASH behavior changes. Creating awareness about the need for water conservation and building the capacities of local citizens and village-level committees result in better management and long-term sustainability of water resources.
The award ceremony was held virtually.
