The India Water Portal has won a Manthan Award for ICT and Digital Content in Development, in the E-Science and Environment category.

The Manthan Award was launched in October 2004 by the Digital Empowerment Foundation, in partnership with the World Summit Award and the American Indian Foundation. The first initiative of its kind in India to recognise best practices in e-content and creativity, the award has now expanded its area of operation to include Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Bhutan and Afghanistan.

The award was presented to the India Water Portal for 'providing holistic information and content base on water and various issues' at a time when 'knowledge about water in India existed in silos of universities, governmental and non-governmental organisations'.

With 600 visits a day, the Water Portal is helping to reduce the digital and content asymmetry prevalent in India and is creating awareness of water issues among the general public.

Web sites:India Water Portal; Manthan Award

Related news:

• India Water Portal photos on Flickr, Source South Asia, 15 Oct 2008;
• India Water Portal: YouTube playlists, Source South Asia, 19 Sep 2008;
• Multimedia courses: groundwater management, fluoride mitigation, watershed principles, and earthen dams, Source, 10 Dec 2007

Source: India Water Portal blog, 21 Oct 2008 ; Manthan Award

Tags: capacity development, information and communication, sanitation, south asia, water quality, water resources management