Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil and Science and Technology Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today jointly inaugurated a national workshop on research and development in water in New Delhi. Speaking at the event, Mr Patil said that this workshop will extensively deliberate on water scarcity solutions. He emphasised that the integration of ground-breaking innovations and new technologies will be instrumental in realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047. The Minister lauded the collective resolve of stakeholders coming together from different regions to bring fresh ideas to the sector.

 

On the occasion, the Ministry of Jal Shakti and ISRO also signed an MoU to strengthen satellite-based applications and advanced technologies for water resource assessment, monitoring and management, with 24 priority studies and areas of cooperation already identified. Addressing the gathering, Dr Singh said that the country’s space economy is growing at a very rapid pace and it currently stands at nine billion dollars and is projected to increase tenfold in the near future. He said, this collaboration embodies the whole of government approach that Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterates.

 

The Ministers also launched a Mission for Advancement in High-Impact Areas for Water- MAHA on Water. It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Jal Shakti and Anusandhan National Research Foundation to promote cutting-edge research in priority areas such as water resources management, drinking water, climate resilience and water-use efficiency.