The government is preparing to introduce the ‘MAHA on Water’ (Mission for Advancement in High-Impact Areas for Water) program, a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). This initiative aims to foster cutting-edge research in critical areas like water resources management, drinking water, climate resilience, and water-use efficiency. An open call for research proposals will be made during the ‘National Workshop on R&D in Water’ scheduled for Monday in New Delhi.
The workshop will convene leaders from various sectors including government, industry, academia, scientific institutions, startups, and technical organizations to enhance India’s water research ecosystem and expedite innovation-driven solutions for sustainable water management. The event will be inaugurated by CR Patil, Union Minister of Jal Shakti; Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Science & Technology; Raj Bhushan Choudhary, Minister of State for Jal Shakti; and Dr. V. Narayanan, Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman of ISRO and DST.
Additionally, the ministry will roll out an open call for startups and MSMEs through the BHARAT-WIN Portal to bolster product and prototype development in the water sector. The workshop will also witness the introduction of Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari: Catch the Rain (JSJB:CTR), a participatory digital platform aimed at reinforcing community-led water conservation endeavors by facilitating documentation and presentation of water conservation, rainwater harvesting, and groundwater recharge initiatives.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Jal Shakti and ISRO are poised to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance satellite-based applications and advanced technologies for water resource assessment, monitoring, and management, with 24 priority studies and areas of collaboration already identified. The workshop agenda includes multiple technical sessions covering crucial topics such as groundwater management, irrigation practices, river morphology, floodplain inundation mapping, climate resilience, ecological assessments, dam and hydraulic structure safety, among others.
