Data driven approach and learnings from global good practices on water management crucial: NMCG

Water demand-supply gap and its management needs to be addressed at various levels and technology is a very important part of this management , said Mr Nalin Kumar Srivastava, Deputy Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga, Ministry of Jal Shakti. He was speaking at the CII Water Tech Summit 2024 with the theme "Bridging the Water Demand – Supply Gaps: Technology, Partnerships and Collaboration” organised by Confederation of Indian Industry today.

Mr Srivastava stressed on need for adopting an integrated approach for promoting the reuse of water and informed that a National Framework on reuse of water has been launched. In the next level the Centre is working with States to see how this national framework can be dovetailed with state specific framework of water reuse and sectors like power, railways, agriculture etc. In this regard the power plants have been mapped to STPs so that water can be given to specific power plants for reuse.

Adopting data driven approach is crucial to address implementation of water management plans, he emphasised. He also stressed that innovations in the water technology should focus on providing required solution. In this regard the success stories across the globe can be replicated to Indian context. He also underlined the need for development of water centric approach to develop a water sensitive infrastructure.

Mr Søren Nørrelund Kannik- Marquardsen, Minister Counsellor, Regional Coordinator South Asia and Head of Trade & Commercial Affairs, Embassy of Denmark – New Delhi underscored the critical role of water in sustainable development and the importance of international cooperation. He discussed the parallels between Denmark’s past water management challenges and India’s current situation and discussed various Danish water technologies that could be implemented in India, to enhance resilience and cost-effectiveness both urban and rural areas. He noted that India’s scale could drive down technology costs.

Ms Natasha Zangin, Counsellor, Head of Economic and Commercial Mission, Embassy of Israel – New Delhi highlighted Israel’s transformation from a country with an arid climate and limited natural water resources to a global leader in water technology by investing heavily in research and innovation to ensure water security. Talking about the innovative spirit of the Israeli water tech industry, she shared that today Israel excels in several key areas of water technology, including desalination, water recycling, smart irrigation, water management, and conservation. 90% of Israel’s wastewater is treated and reused for agricultural purposes, she informed.

B2B sessions with Israeli companies was also conducted during the event that involved in-depth discussions, exploring business opportunities, and forging new partnerships to advance shared

shared goals in water security and technology such as water control solutions, wastewater treatment, new generation IoT and SCADA innovations, and innovative urban water management.

Mr Sarang Lakhanee, Executive Director, Vishvaraj Environment Pvt. Ltd.  stressed that while augmenting supply has been the focus key area, in the current context, demand management is something we need to move forward. Speaking about the successful implementation of Nagpur 24/7 water supply project under a PPP model, he shared that even after a decade of operation, the water supply has  improved to the extent of providing sufficient water for the entire population of Nagpur. Focus on four P’s: People, Public, Private and Partnership with keeping people at the centre helped in maintaining the sustainability of resources.

Mr Indraneel Dutt, Chief Executive Officer, Ion Exchange (India) Limited, stressed that bridging the water demand supply gaps requires a multifaceted approach, involving technology, collaboration and partnerships. While technology has the potential to revolutionise water management it also requires concerted efforts of government, private companies.

8 August 2024

New Delhi