Overview
- The Congress, led by state chief Jitu Patwari, alleged on X that AI-generated images were used to falsely portray water works and secure a national honor.
- Khandwa won first place under the Jal Sanchay, Jan Bhagidari campaign at the sixth National Water Awards in November and received a Rs 2 crore prize.
- Khandwa’s panchayat CEO Nagarjun B. Gowda said 1,29,046 works were verified and uploaded to the official JSJB portal used for the award process.
- The Union Jal Shakti Ministry reviewed submissions and carried out random field inspections of about 1% of listed works, according to district officials.
- Officials reported finding 21 AI-generated images on the separate Catch the Rain portal, described it as non-evaluative, and said action is underway against the uploaders.