Telangana has taken the lead in India’s biggest rainwater conservation drive. The state built over 5.2 lakh water structures under the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) 1.0 initiative. This is according to the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Chhattisgarh ranked second with 4.05 lakh completed projects, while Rajasthan ranked third with 3.64 lakh. The awards, part of the “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” campaign, will be presented by President Droupadi Murmu at the 6th National Water Awards on 18th November.

Launched in September 2024 in Surat, JSJB encourages community-driven water conservation by involving both government and citizens. States were tasked with creating at least 10,000 water recharge and storage structures each. Municipal bodies and local councils also had their own targets.

Regionally, Uttar Pradesh led the northern zone with Mirzapur, Varanasi, and Jalaun topping the list. Chhattisgarh dominated the eastern zone. Moreover, Telangana districts once again shone in the south — Adilabad, Nalgonda, and Mancherial took the top three spots. Madhya Pradesh’s East Nimar led the western zone, and North Tripura topped among northeastern states.

A total of 67 districts were recognised across India, with cash rewards ranging from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 2 crore. Raipur Municipal Corporation topped the list of municipal bodies. They were followed by Hyderabad and Gorakhpur. Among non-municipal local bodies, Guna Municipality in Madhya Pradesh ranked first.

The ministry also honoured corporate and civil society contributors. FICCI Water Mission and ASSOCHAM were named best industry associations. Jaltara Save Groundwater topped the NGO category. Over 100 awards were announced this year across various categories, reflecting India’s growing focus on community-led water conservation.

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