Overview
- At a New Delhi ceremony, President Droupadi Murmu conferred the sixth National Water Awards, recognizing 46 winners across 10 categories.
- Maharashtra was named best state for water conservation, followed by Gujarat and Haryana, with top district honors going to Rajnandgaon, Khargone, Mirzapur, Tirunelveli and Sepahijala.
- Murmu warned that climate change is disrupting the water cycle and called for groundwater preservation, recycling and wider adoption of circular water economy practices, noting industry progress toward zero liquid discharge.
- Citing program gains, she said household tap-water coverage rose to 81% under the Jal Jeevan Mission from under 17% in 2019, easing the daily burden for nearly 9 crore women and girls.
- Officials reported more than 35 lakh groundwater recharge structures under the Jal Sanchay–Jan Bhagidari drive, and the President pressed for innovation to cut farm water use given agriculture’s 80% share of demand.