Chennai: India and Israel signed a joint statement on Tuesday to establish a Centre of Water Technology at IIT-Madras in Tamil Nadu's Chennai.

The tripartite agreement was signed by the Embassy of Israel, IIT-Madras, and the AMRUT mission of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, reflecting a shared commitment to address the critical challenges of water management in India. The Center of Water Technology aims to become a hub for innovation, research, and capacity-building in water technologies, particularly focusing on sustainable solutions for urban water supply.

Israel, a strategic partner to India, is a global leader in Integrated Water Resources Management.

To kickstart this initiative, a capacity-building course on "24/7 Water Supply in Urban Areas" was organized at IIT Madras from August 5 to 8, 2024.

Ambassador of Israel to India, Naor Gilon, said that this collaboration reflects the shared commitment of India and Israel to address the pressing challenges of water scarcity and management. "The establishment of the Centre of Water Technology at IIT-Madras is a testament to our strong partnership, and we look forward to working together to develop innovative solutions that will benefit millions in India," Naor Gilon added.

A statement from the Embassy of Israel in India mentioned that it remains committed to fostering cooperation in water technology and management, and this new centre is expected to be a key contributor to India's efforts to achieve a sustainable water supply for all.

The CoWT works towards the mutual exchange of technology, scientific information, and literature, and holds discussions and consultations on various issues in the area with experts from both countries to address problems in drinking water and sewerage management and to develop new areas of intervention.

The two Governments also intend to jointly identify specific projects relating to integrated water resources management, Urban water supply and non-revenue water, water and sewage recycling, IoT solution and online monitoring, water harvesting, smart data management and AI, among other areas, with the objective of demonstrating most advanced technologies in the field.

(With Inputs From Agencies)