Surat, November 19: Surat district has achieved a significant milestone at the national level by demonstrating excellent performance in the water conservation public participation campaign. The district secured a position among the top ten districts in the country during the 6th National Water Awards and Water Conservation Public Participation Award ceremony organized by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti.
It is noteworthy that Surat is the only district from Gujarat to receive this honor, securing the 10th rank at the national level along with a prize of one crore rupees. The award ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi witnessed the distinguished presence of President Droupadi Murmu. During the event, Union Minister of Jal Shakti C.R. Patil presented the award and the check to Surat District Collector Dr. Saurabh Pardhi and Deputy District Development Officer (Revenue) Piyush Patel. As per agency report, the ministry reviewed water conservation efforts across the country and awarded Surat the first position in the Western Zone Category-2, praising its water conservation model, public participation, and implementation.
The success of the water conservation model in Surat district was primarily based on the effective coordination of various funds and schemes, including the 15th Finance Commission, MNREGA, CSR, DMF, District Panchayat self-financing, and the Collector fund. This strategic convergence ensured that water structures were constructed at a low cost, with high speed, and on a comprehensive scale, reaching deep into rural areas.
The Jalmitra initiative launched in rural areas served as the backbone of the campaign, fostering public participation and transforming water conservation into a mass movement. These volunteers played a crucial role in creating awareness in every village regarding various tasks such as borewell and rooftop recharge, deepening of ponds, construction of new ponds, and the repair and construction of check dams.
District Collector Dr. Saurabh Pardhi stated that more than 67,000 water harvesting and recharge structures have been established in Surat so far. These include recharge structures for borewells and wells, deepening of ponds, new check dams, repair works, rooftop rainwater systems, and recharge pits. He emphasized that this honor represents the achievement of the joint efforts of the people of Surat and the administration, adding that the guidance provided by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Union Minister C.R. Patil gave new momentum to the campaign.
