From Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Oct 22: Khliehrangnah village in West Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya, which had renovated and revived 20 water bodies including 14 springs and six streams, won the joint third rank in the Best Village Panchayat category at the National Water Awards here on Tuesday.
The village also dug out a new pond besides reviving many others. Key works like contour trenches, land rehabilitation by afforestation, construction of dug out ponds and rainwater harvesting systems have been implemented by the village for enhancing groundwater, according to an official statement.
With sufficient water now becoming available, the whole cultivable command area of 135 hectares has been brought under cultivation, thereby increasing the crop productivity. In addition, a community-based monitoring system has been established to keep track of water quality, encroachments, and any illegal activities impacting water bodies.
Training at the village level including exposure trips to model villages have been imparted which have brought effectiveness and efficiency of the members in undertaking ground water recharge activities.
The National Water Awards aim to create awareness among the people about the importance of water and motivate them to adopt the best water usage practices.
The fifth National Water Awards were presented in nine categories — Best State, Best District, Best Village Panchayat, Best Urban Local Body, Best School or College, Best Industry, Best Water User Association, Best Institution (other than school or college), and Best Civil Society — to 38 winners.
Union Minister of Jal Shakti CR Patil resented the awards, while President Droupadi Murmu graced the award ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
Commending the achievement, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said, “It gives me great pleasure to congratulate Khliehrangnah, West Jaintia Hills, for being awarded the third rank in the National Water Awards 2023 in the Best Village Panchayat category. This award has been achieved due to the immense efforts of the community towards practicing sustainable water management and the government’s commitment to ensuring that our resources are used efficiently and responsibly. Such continued collaboration between the Government and communities will enhance the ecosystem and promote sustainability.”
The award was received by Lamluti Langstang, headman of Khliehrangnah and Gunanka DB, Executive Director, Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA).