Prakasam District Bags National Award For Watershed Management

Nellore : Prakasam district has earned national recognition for its outstanding efforts in conserving rainwater and reviving depleted groundwater levels.

At the all-India level, Prakasam secured the second place for best performance in watershed works. On behalf of the district, collector P. Rajababu receiving the award and the official certificate of appreciation from union Jal Shakti minister C.R. Patil at the Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The award is for the district administration’s systematic and sustained efforts to capture every drop of rain. The region, once known for its plunging groundwater tables, has turned into a model of efficient water management.

Adding to the district’s glory, Murugammi gram panchayat in Pedacherlopalli mandal of Kanigiri constituency has been selected for the 6th National Jal Panchayat Award, underscoring the local-level commitment to sustainable water practices.

Behind these twin successes lies the well-planned push undertaken by the District Water Management Agency (DWMA) in 2022–23 under the Watershed Development Programme. With support from multiple departments, the district administration adopted scientific water management methods, most notably the Ridge-to-Valley approach, which focuses on treating higher elevations first to maximise water flow and percolation downstream.

The effort involved a variety of natural resource management works, including continuous contour trenches, small and large check-dams, dugout ponds, Amrit Sarovars, and desilting operations.

These interventions helped the district store an impressive 8.21 lakh cubic metres of water, providing crucial recharge to the aquifers. In all, ₹97 lakh had been spent on 51 works, each documented meticulously before being submitted to the centre for evaluation in October last year.

A central team later visited Prakasam in June to examine the results on the ground. Despite the region’s challenging and varied geology, the progress stood out, prompting the centre to award Prakasam the Second Best National Water Award.

On behalf of the district, the collector received a trophy, a certificate, and ₹1.5 lakh in prize money.

Officials across departments, including joint collector R. Gopalakrishna, have congratulated DWMA project director Joseph Kumar for his role in overseeing the programme and helping the district win national acclaim.