Mar 25: S M Sehgal Foundation has been honored with the Best NGO award for Rainwater Harvesting by Water Digest at the World Water Day celebration held in New Delhi on March 23, 2026.
The award was received by Ms. Pooja Oberoi Murada, principal lead, Outreach for Development; Mr. Navneet Narwal, principal lead, Implementation; and Mr. Pawan Kaswan, senior program lead, Water Management, S M Sehgal Foundation.
The Chief Guest of the event was the Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri C. R. Patil, and the award was presented by the Hon’ble Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Raj Bhushan Choudhary.
Further strengthening its commitment to sustainable rural development and water management, the Foundation also received the Best Water awareness campaign (NGO category) award at the Global Sustainability & Innovation Awards 2026, presented by Earth Water Foundation on March 24, 2026, in New Delhi.
This recognition was awarded for its flagship radio program Jal, Jungle, Zameen (Water, Forest, and Land), broadcast through Community Radio Connect FM 107.8 (An initiative of S M Sehgal Foundation). The program reaches agrarian communities, particularly small-scale farmers encouraging them to adopt water-saving smart agricultural practices.
The award was received by Ms. Arti Manchanda Grover, senior program lead, Public Relations, and Ms. Sonia Chopra, program lead, Outreach for Development, S M Sehgal Foundation.
The event was graced by Chief Guest Mr. Durgashankar Mishra (Retd. IAS, Government of Uttar Pradesh) and Smt. Sulochana Das, Mayor of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation.
These awards are dedicated to the communities the Foundation has been working with over the past 26 years. Since 1999, S M Sehgal Foundation has been committed to improving the quality of life of rural communities across India.
The Foundation has four main program areas: Water Management, Agriculture Development, Local Participation and Sustainability, and Transform Lives one school at a time. These programs are supported by the Outreach for Development team, which engages diverse audiences through a blend of digital outreach and on-ground interactions, ensuring that information is accessible and relevant. They are further strengthened by a skilled research team that undertakes participatory research, impact assessments, and interactive dialogues to inform actions and achieve sustainable results.
