Guwahati (Assam) [India], November 8 : Telangana-based environmentalist M Karunakar Reddy has been selected for the first-ever Jadav Payeng International Award and the award instituted by Jyoti-Protap Education Trust in Assam's Jorhat district.
Jadav Payeng International Award carries an amount of Rs 2 lakh and a citation, will be conferred to M Karunakar Reddy in January next year.
Rituraj Phukan, a member of the 5-member selection committee told ANI that the first Jadav Payeng International Award will be given to environmentalist M Karunakar Reddy who is known as the "water man of India."
"Jyoti-Protap Education Trust has initiated the Padma Shri Jadav Payeng International Award to recognise the climate action and conservation efforts for awareness of nature. This award will be given to a person of national and international every year. The award carries an amount of Rs 2 lakh, a certificate and various other mementos. For the first time the award will be given to M Karunakar Reddy of Telangana who is known as the water man of India, green hero, disaster man of India etc. The award will be given at Jyoti Protap Bidyalay, Teok in the last week of January, 2025," Phukan said.
Protap Saikia, founder of Jyoti-Protap Education Trust, said, "We have decided to introduce an International award in the name of Jadav Payeng. The first award will be given to M Karunakar Reddy."
The Jyoti-Protap Education Trust founded by a businessman Protap Saikia, runs the Jyoti Protap Gyanmarg Bidyalay at Kaliapani, Teok in Jorhat district and the school is providing free education to economically backward students.
Padma Shri Jadav Payeng is known as 'Forest Man of India' who created a forest covered around 550 hectares of land in Assam's Jorhat and he is constantly working on protection and preservation of nature, climate change etc.