Nellore District Shines: Collector Receives Award from Jal Shakti Minister
District collector Himanshu Shukla received a national award from Union Jal Shakti minister CR Patil at a ceremony in New Delhi on Tuesday
Nellore: The Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore district has earned national recognition for its remarkable achievements in rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and community-driven water conservation initiatives.
District collector Himanshu Shukla received a national award from Union Jal Shakti minister CR Patil at a ceremony in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The award was presented as part of the ‘Jal Sanchay, Jan Bhagidari’ programme, acknowledging Nellore’s outstanding performance in capturing rainwater, improving groundwater levels and implementing scientific water conservation practices across the district.
DWMA project director Gangabhavani also participated in the ceremony.
Nellore secured the national honour under the South Zone category, earning high praise for executing 5,502 groundwater recharge and water conservation works during the 2024–25 financial year.
These works were carried out under DWMA’s supervision through the MGNREGS employment guarantee scheme. The district implemented a wide array of projects:
The works were for 856 farm ponds, 3,495 percolation pits, 112 feeder channels, 166 check-dams, 512 dugout and water-harvesting ponds, 54 rooftop harvesting structures, 12 ring trenches, 34 contour trenches, 14 water storage trenches and 247 desilting works in tanks and ponds.
Together, these have significantly enhanced groundwater recharge and strengthened water security in vulnerable areas.
The ‘Jal Sanchay, Jan Bhagidari’ award honours districts that demonstrate efficiency, innovation and community participation in conserving every drop of water.
The programme aims to promote sustainable water use, reduce water scarcity and create public awareness about the importance of water for future generations.
