Sikkim’s Dhara Vikas effort bags national award for WWF

GANGTOK, 12 April: The Ground Water Augmentation award of the Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India was awarded to the Dhara Vikas programme of the state in the NGO category. Minister for Water Resources, Pawan Kumar Bansal presented the award to Priyadarshinee Shrestha, Landscape Coordinator of WWF – India’s Khangchendzonga Landscape Programme based in Gangtok, in a function organized during the World Water Week celebrations at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi today.
A press release informs that WWF-India received this award for their work in supporting the State Government for providing technical support to this programme. Conceptualized in 2008, the Dhara Vikas programme of the Rural Management and Development Department has shown successful results in the revival of dying springs, streams and lakes. WWF – India was nominated by the Government of Sikkim for this award, the release informs.
WWF-India, with the support of People’s Science Institute and SIRD, Karfectaar had facilitated the training component of the programme by providing training to field level functionaries consisting of field facilitators, barefoot engineers and ACFs leading to the development of five master trainers in the state. A total of 45 trainings were organized during a span of 2 years, which enabled successful implementation of the programme at the field level. WWF acknowledges the support of the field facilitators for this programme, who were the main driving force at the implementation level, the release mentions.
This is the 5th national award for MGNREGA programme in the state over recent years.