The Government of Israel is partnering with India through the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) to set up an ‘India - Israel Center of Water Technology’ (CoWT) in Water Resources Management and Water Technologies at IIT Madras.
Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, and Mr. Naor Gilon, Ambassador of Israel to India, signed a letter of intent in the presence of Mr. Eli Cohen, Ambassador of Israel to India, and S. Jaishankar Minister of External Affairs of India on May 9, 2023..
Israel is a strategic partner to India and is a global leader in Integrated Water Resources Management. The MoHUA will collaborate with MASHAV, Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation, to form this new centre which will be situated at IIT Madras.
The major objective of this new centre would be to ensure the application of Israel’s best technologies being practiced in a customized context for the Indian requirements and toil on sustainable management solutions for the Indian water sector.
Dr. Lior Asaf, Water Attache, Embassy of Israel, said, “collaboration with IIT Madras is important and along with our colleagues in the Central Government (AMRUT) and IITM, we will work together for better management of India's water resources. This will be done with an emphasis on introducing cutting-edge Israeli technology and know-how in an approach that is more sustainable.”
This forthcoming Centre will aid the ‘AMRUT’ Mission of the MoHUA in attaining its overall targets. In addition to this, it will pursue joint activities for executing technological solutions through separate agreements.
The CoWT will also work towards the mutual exchange of technology, scientific information, and literature, and hold discussions and consultations on several matters in the area with experts from both countries to address issues in drinking water and sewerage management and to develop new areas of intervention.
Underlining the significance of this Centre, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras said that they will consider this as one of our most important collaborations working on the preservation and proper utilization of Mother Nature’s greatest gift to Mankind - The Water.
Also, at IIT Madras, the Governments of India and Israel through the India-Israel Center of Water Technology will also work towards improving cooperation in particular areas of capacity-building of Indian Water professionals at all levels, demonstrate the projects with the latest technologies and put up an exhibition of Israeli water companies.
Elaborating on the outcomes intended, Prof. T. Pradeep, Institute Professor, and Deepak Parekh Institute Chair Professor, Department of Chemistry, IIT Madras said that water security in India depends on the implementation of advanced and affordable technologies as well as effective management of the resources.
In order to showcase the most cutting-edge technologies in the field, the two Governments also plan to jointly identify particular projects in the areas of integrated water resources management, urban water supply, and non-revenue water, water and sewage recycling, IoT solution and online monitoring, smart data management, water harvesting, and AI, among other areas.
