Serving the urban population with adequate and safe water and sanitation services remains a serious challenge for state and urban local governments in India. Enhancing water service delivery levels is also crucial to furthering India's progress in achieving its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Urban areas throughout the country are striving to improve access, quality, quantity, efficiency and sustainability of urban water and sanitation services, by redefining policies, using better technologies, improving management practices, targeting subsidies, exploring new financing options and forging new partnerships. The Government of India's Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) program and Capacity Building Scheme For Urban Local Bodies (CBULB) are helping cities accelerate ambitious initiatives for change.
The National Urban Water Awards (NUWA) are instituted by the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), Government of India, in association with the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) and GTZ to recognize, inspire and celebrate excellence in urban water management.

These awards have been instituted with the explicit purpose of honouring urban local governments, water boards and organisations that assist them in taking significant steps towards effective water management and effecting improvements in service delivery. The awards cover a wide spectrum of good practices across various categories that have resulted in enhanced quality of service delivery levels to the citizens at large and the poor and marginalized in particular. The Awards are a veritable showcase of innovative, inspiring and sustainable models in water management practices in urban India.

NUWA is unique in that it honours public and government institutions and recognizes the role of all stakeholders associated with service delivery improvement in urban areas.

The NUWA 2008 and 2009 got overwhelming response and secured nominations under various award categories from all over the country. The winning entries under six categories were finalised based on a transparent and rigorous selection process.

Her Excellency, the President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil awarded the winners of NUWA 2009 during the Award Ceremony held on 13 August 2009 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Shri S. Jaipal Reddy, Hon'ble Union Minister of Urban Development, Shri Saugata Roy, Hon'ble Minister of State for Urban Development, Shri Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Dy. Chairman, Planning Commission and Dr. M. Ramachandran, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development were among the dignitaries who felicitated the winners and addressed the delegates. A compendium covering outstanding initiatives of NUWA was released during the Award Ceremony. The information on the awards program was widely disseminated to the national and the international audience.

The NUWA 2008 Award Ceremony was held on 15 May 2008 at ASCI, Hyderabad. Dr. M. Ramchandran, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, awarded five winners and two special awardees during the award ceremony.