Ganjam bags national award for conserving water bodies

BERHAMPUR: Ganjam has been adjudged the best district in the country for the conservation of water bodies in the 4th National Water Award-2022 announced by the ministry of Jal Shakti.
Pankal Kumar, Jal Shakti secretary, informed Ganjam collector Dibya Jyoti Parida about the award on Tuesday. Parida said the date for the awards ceremony will be intimated in due course.
He said a team of scientists from the Centre visited different water bodies in the district in February to take stock of the situation. The team had visited different rural tanks, minor irrigation projects, other water bodies and assessed the recharge of ground water, among others. They also studied the functioning of pani panchayats (rural bodies formed for water management).
"The administration has made massive avenue and bund plantations to treat water in urban areas," said Keerthi Vassan V, executive officer, Ganjam zilla parishad.