'Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman 2023' conferred by The President of India

The Ministry of Jal Shakti recently organized the “Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman 2023” to honor the outstanding women working in the rural water and sanitation sector. The award is given under various categories of the Swachh Bharat Mission - Grameen, Jal Jeevan Mission, and National Water Mission. The aim of the award is to acknowledge the efforts and dedication of women at the grassroots level in making India a Swachh Sujal Bharat.

The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu graced the event which took place ahead of International Women’s Day. The 36 women WASH champions were felicitated with the ‘Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman 2023’ for their exceptional work in implementing Swachh Bharat Mission – Grameen (SBM-G), Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), and Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA-CTR). The event also marked the launch of Jal Shakti Abhiyan – Catch the Rain 2023 and the release of National Water Mission’s (NWM) SoPs on Source Sustainability by the Minister of Jal Shakti. The Union Minister also presented the President with the first copy of the ‘Swachh Sujal Shakti Ki Abhivyakti’ which is a collection of case stories from SBM (G), JJM, and NWM. Additionally, the Minister of State for Communications launched a customized ‘My Stamp’ for NWM and presented the first copy to the President.

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During her address, the President acknowledged the crucial role that women have played in all three missions of the Ministry of Jal Shakti. She praised the efforts of women in Self-Help Groups and community-based organizations who have helped in spreading awareness about water conservation, management, and sanitation.

The President also recognized the leadership of women in the SBM(G) and JJM programs, which has resulted in more than 11 crore rural households having piped water supply and over 2 lakh ODF Plus villages. The overall benefits of these flagship missions were also highlighted by the President, who quoted Nobel laureate Michael Kremer's study that reported saving the lives of 1.36 lakh children under the age of five in rural India annually by providing safe and adequate drinking water and safe sanitation practices.

मेरा मानना है कि जल शक्ति, नारी शक्ति के बिना फलीभूत हो नहीं सकती। और अगर ये दोनों शक्तियां एक हो जाएं तो समाज का कायाकल्प हो जाएगा। pic.twitter.com/sEbHJV9JYF

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) March 4, 2023

The President praised the women champions and highlighted the exemplary work of Babita Gupta, Salila Jena, Munni Devi, and Neelam Singh in the field of water management and sanitation. She expressed her confidence in the dedication and hard work of these women to set an example for the world in this field. In her concluding remarks, the President urged the awardees to inspire others in their villages to follow environmentally friendly practices and spread awareness about the importance of cleanliness and water conservation. She also expressed her belief that the awards presented would inspire them to work with more dedication, and others would learn and contribute to cleanliness, water, and environment protection by seeing their efforts.

Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, expressed his gratitude towards the women who have played a significant role in water and sanitation efforts in the country. He credited the success of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, which has completed more than 46 lakh water conservation and harvesting works, planted over 36 crore saplings, and organized more than 43 thousand training campaigns and agricultural fairs, to the contribution of women. Shri Shekhawat praised the excellent examples set by rural women in the field of water and sanitation and highlighted the importance of women empowerment in the transformation of families, societies, and the country. The Minister also thanked the Prime Minister for initiating campaigns like Swachh Bharat Mission and Jal Jeevan Mission, which have resulted in more than 11.30 crore rural households getting pure drinking water and over two lakh villages being declared ODF Plus.

स्वच्छ सुजल शक्ति सम्मान 2023 एवं जल शक्ति अभियान : कैच द रेन 2023 समारोह में महामहिम राष्ट्रपति श्रीमती द्रौपदी मुर्मू जी का स्वागत- अभिनंदन किया।

यह सम्मान नारी शक्ति की लीडरशिप और उनकी उपलब्धियों को समर्पित है। #ShaktiKoSamman pic.twitter.com/bwjCkkzHFl

— Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (@gssjodhpur) March 4, 2023

The speech by Shri Bishweswar Tudu, MoS for Jal Shakti and Tribal Affairs, highlighted the significant contributions made by women to all government programs and how they are champions in their own right. He also commended the Catch the Rain initiative under Jal Shakti Abhiyan, which has created awareness among the masses about the importance of water conservation and brought together all stakeholders in a mass movement to conserve and recharge water.

Sh. Prahlad Singh Patel, MoS for Jal Shakti and Food Processing Industries, urged everyone to make "Swachhta" (cleanliness) a goal of their lives and learn from the women WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) heroes who were felicitated at the event. He emphasized that there cannot be Jal Shakti (water power) without Nari Shakti (women power) and stressed the importance of grey water management in rural areas.

आज विज्ञान भवन में ‘स्वच्छ सुजल शक्ति सम्मान 2023 एवं जल शक्ति अभियान : कैच द रेन 2023’ समारोह में शामिल हुआ।जल संरक्षण की दिशा में जमीनी स्तर पर योगदान के लिए मातृशक्ति को सम्मानित किया गया। नारी शक्ति की प्रतीक महामहिम राष्ट्रपति श्रीमती द्रौपदी मुर्मु जी के अमूल्य मार्गदर्शन pic.twitter.com/L4xVZhHdC7

— Prahlad Singh Patel (@prahladspatel) March 4, 2023

A total of 36 awards were conferred under SBM-G, JJM and NWM by the President of India and Union Minister of Jal Shakti under the following categories:

1. Swachh Bharat Mission - Grameen (SBM - G)

a. Making the village ODF Plus Model

b. GOBARdhan/Bio-degradable Waste and/or Plastic Waste Management

c. Greywater Management and/or Faecal Sludge Management

2. Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)

a. Women change-makers in the category of O&M of piped water supply

3. National Water Mission (NWM)

a. Jal Shakti Abhiyan – Catch the Rain

b. Water Warriors

The video titled 'Jal Shakti se Nari Shakti' highlights the importance of women's involvement in water conservation and management, showcasing their leadership and contribution at the grass root level towards achieving a Swachh Sujal Bharat. The video aims to inspire and encourage more women to actively participate in the movement towards water conservation.

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The commemorative stamp launched by the President is a special postage stamp featuring the theme of 'Jal Shakti Abhiyan - Catch the Rain'. The stamp is a tribute to the importance of water conservation and source sustainability for drinking water, which is the theme of the campaign. It is a recognition of the efforts of the Government and the people towards water conservation, and a reminder of the urgent need to preserve this precious resource for future generations.

Secretary Vini Mahajan of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation extended a warm welcome to all the dignitaries and congratulated the women WASH champions who were in attendance at the event. Ms. Mahajan emphasized that women have been at the forefront of the Swachh Bharat Mission, Jal Jeevan Mission, and Jal Shakti Abhiyan, and their hard work and determination have been instrumental in the success of these flagship missions. She also mentioned the important role of women in community-based organizations and self-help groups in spreading awareness about the importance of water conservation, water management, and sanitation.

यह भी देखें : 'नकली डॉक्टर ?' द्वारा मंदिर परिसर में आँखों के कैंप का आयोजन

Ms. Mahajan thanked the President of India, the Union Minister of Jal Shakti, and other dignitaries for recognizing the contribution of women in the field of WASH and for felicitating the women champions. She concluded by saying, “Let us all pledge to work together to ensure that we make the best use of our water resources, conserve them, and ensure safe and adequate drinking water and sanitation facilities to all citizens of India, particularly the women and children”.

It's great to hear that the event was attended by such a diverse group of dignitaries and representatives, including government officials, grassroots workers, sector partners, and members of civil society organizations. This shows the broad support for water and sanitation initiatives and the importance of collaboration across sectors and levels of government to achieve the goal of universal access to safe water and sanitation.