‘Haryana named third best state under 6th National water awards 2024’

Chandigarh: Haryana Irrigation and Water Resources minister, Shruti Choudhry, said that Haryana has been recognised as the ‘Third Best State’ in the prestigious 6th National Water Awards 2024 announced by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India.

This recognition highlights the state’s exemplary achievements in integrated and sustainable water management.

The minister said that the nomination for the 6th National Water Awards 2024 was submitted by the Department of Irrigation and Water Resources, Haryana, in February 2025.

A ground-truthing verification was carried out in June 2025 by a team comprising officers from the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Central Water Commission (CWC) and Central Ground Water Board (CGWB). Based on the ground-truthing report and the award application submitted by the state, the committee finalised Haryana as the ‘Third Best State’ in the country.

Choudhry said that Haryana’s success is driven by its integrated water resources management approach and the subsequent implementation of the Integrated Water Resources Action Plan 2023–25, which, through a scientific, data-driven, and participatory model, has achieved around 84 per cent of its water conservation target—saving approximately 5.80 BCM of water.

She further said that the award will be presented by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, at a felicitation ceremony to be held on November 18, 2025, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

The Minister highlighted that through projects such as the revival of the JLN Feeder Canal, Haryana has expanded its irrigation capacity by up to 50,000 hectares, reduced leakage losses by 90 per cent, and increased irrigation intensity from 40 per cent to 85 per cent, thereby strengthening agricultural water security in the state.