ICID awards the World Heritage Irrigation Structures (WHIS) awards for Irrigation Structures that are more than 100 years old and are still functioning.It includes both old operational irrigation structures as well as those having archival value. This recognition is on the lines of World Heritage Sites (as recognized by UNESCO). Maximum four awards under the WHIS category are given every year.
i. Tracing the history of and understanding the evolution of irrigation in the civilizations across the world.
ii. To select and collect information on historical irrigation structures from around the world, understand their significant achievements and gather knowledge about the unique features that have sustained the project for such a long period; .
iii. To learn the philosophy and wisdom on sustainable irrigation from these structures. a
iv. To protect/preserve these historical irrigation structures
i. Understanding of the factors that make the heritage structures sustainable and learn lessons therefrom.
ii. Education opportunity for professionals, students and the general public.
On behalf of ICID, INCID every year invites nominations from the major irrigating States in prescribed format and recommends the deserving proposals to ICID, which further evaluates the nomination through a jury of international experts. Upon the selection of the structure as WHIS, ICID may provide small-scale technical guidance to the project authority/ Corporations/ NGO through a team of experts from ICID for its further sustainability, conservation and safety management, as long as possible. More details in this regard can be accessed from https://icid-ciid.org/award/his/44
India received the highest number of awards (four) in the years 2020 and 2021. Prior to that, India received 2 WHIS awards in the year 2018.So far India has received 10 awards in the WHIS category. The details of these are given below:
INCID has submitted the following 4 irrigation structures for consideration under the 2022 edition of the WHIS awards
| Name of the Structure | About the Structure |
| Baitarani Irrigation Project, Odisha | Construction taken up in 1871, Construction completed in 1878, in service for more than 144 years. · District : Jajpur/Bhadrak · Area Irrigated/ drained: 32752.63 Ha. · River basin/ Sub-basin: Baitarani Basin · Consists of 1 diversion structure (Akhuapada Anicut & Budha Anicut) having total length 463.93m. |
| Lower Coleroon Anicut (Lower Anicut), Tamil Nadu | Commissioned in 1836 · Constructed by Sir Arthur Cotton · Area Irrigated/ drained: 1,31,903 Acres of lands in Thanjavur, Nagapattinam andCuddalore districts. · Located in the Cauvery Basin & Lower Coleroon Sub basin · District : Thanjavur (Part),Ariyalur (Part) · North Branch length – 372 m and Right Branch length – 493 m |
| Rushikulya Irrigation System, Odisha | Integrated project constructed during 1891 by the British Empires to mitigate droughtproblem of Ganjam District. · The structures lie in the Rushikulya Basin -Badanadi and Padma Sub-Basins · Rushikulya System consists of 2 medium size reservoirs and 4 numbers of Anicut, as under: i. Bhanjanagar reservoir across BarangaNalla, a tributary of Badanadi near Bhanjanagar ii. Sorada reservoir on a small Nalla nearSorada iii. Sorisamuli Anicut across river Badanadi, a tributary of Rushikulya at Sorisamulito divert water of Badanadi to Bhanjanagar Reservoir iv. Padma Anicut across river Padma, a tributary of Rushikulya at Sorada todivert water of Padma to Sorada reservoir v. Madhabarida Anicut across river Badanadi near Madhabarida to divert Badanadi water to Janivilli Anicut. vi. Janivilli Anicut at Janivilli across river Rushikulya diverting water for providing irrigation through RushikulyaMain Canal. |
| Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage (Dowleshwaram Anicut), Andhra Pradesh | Started: 1847, Commissioned: 1852 · Area Irrigated/ drained: 10,09,009 Ac (408331 ha) in East and West Godavari Districts · Lies in Godavari river at Dowleswaram, A.P. · Location: Between Dowleswaram(V),Rajahmundry Rural(M),EastGodavari District andVijjeswaram (V),Nidadavolu (M),West Godavari District. · Gross storage: 2.931 TMC · Population benefitted: 36 Mandals in East GodavariDistrict and 29 Mandals in WestGodavari District. |
