ICAR-Indian Institute of Water Management (IIWM), Bhubaneswar was bestowed with Sardar Patel Outstanding ICAR Institution Award for the year 2017 among the ICAR institutes of small institutes categoryfor its outstanding performance in the field of agricultural water management research and training. Dr. S.K. Ambast, Director, ICAR-IIWM received award from Dr. T. Mohapatra, Hon'ble Secretary, DARE & Director General, ICAR on the occasion of Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela organized at ICAR-IARI, New Delhi on 5th March 2019. The award carries a citation, a plaqueand cash prize of INR 10 lakh. This Institute was earlier also adjudged as Outstanding ICAR Institute Award for the year 2006.

ICAR-IIWM, Bhubaneswar has played pivotal role in basic and applied research in the field of agricultural water management. This institute has made outstanding contributions and developed several viable technologies on water management by putting continuous efforts for a period of about three-decades. The notable of them are: determining water requirement and irrigation scheduling for different crops in selected agro-ecological sub-regions, tank-cum-well system in irrigated commands, raised and sunken bed system in medium and low lands for crop diversification, pond-based integrated farming systems, rainwater conservation techniques and multiple use of conserved water, sub-surface water harvesting, integration of system of rice intensification with fish culture, lessening water use in high value aquaculture, agronomic practices for irrigation water saving and enhancing water use efficiency, conjunctive use of water through bore-wells, dug-wells and ponds on farmers' participatory approach, conjunctive use of freshwater and poor quality water, bioremediation of heavy metals from polluted water sources for irrigation, development of surface drainage system for low-lying areas and development of package of practices for bio-drainage; design and development of rubber check dams for watersheds, standardized micro-irrigation technology including drip-fertigation for different crops and enhancing crop produce quality for different agro-ecological sub-regions. The institute has developed post-flood management interventions for enhancing climatic resilience. Technologies for groundwater recharge in hard rock areas and groundwater pumping for coastal areas have been developed by the institute. ICAR-IIWM developed framework for district irrigation plan and has been playing a pivotal role in capacity building under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).