New Delhi, May 31 (IANS) Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Paatil will on Monday inaugurate a national workshop on research and development (R&D) in the water sector aimed at driving the country’s next wave of water innovation by providing a common platform for the government, industry and academia, an official statement said.

The one-day workshop will be jointly inaugurated by Paatil and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh, the statement said.

The workshop will feature multiple technical sessions covering key themes such as groundwater management, irrigation practices, river morphology, floodplain inundation mapping, climate resilience, ecological assessments, dam and hydraulic structure safety, urban aquifer mapping, and the application of remote sensing and advanced technologies in water governance.

According to the statement, the coming together of government, industry and academia marks a significant step towards strengthening India’s water research ecosystem and accelerating innovation-driven solutions for sustainable water management.

The initiative is also expected to foster stronger convergence among scientific institutions, policymakers, academia, startups, technical organisations and community stakeholders.

Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary, Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, ISRO, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DoDWS), Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD&GR), Additional Secretary and Mission Director of the National Water Mission, and the CEO of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), along with other senior officials, will also participate in the workshop.

A major highlight of the event will be the launch of MAHA on Water (Mission for Advancement in High-Impact Areas for Water), a joint initiative of the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the ANRF to promote cutting-edge research in priority areas such as water resources management, drinking water, climate resilience and water-use efficiency.

An open call for research proposals under the initiative will also be announced.

The Ministry will also launch an open call for startups and MSMEs under the BHARAT-WIN Portal to support product and prototype development in the water sector.

The workshop will also witness the launch of Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari: Catch the Rain (JSJB: CTR), a participatory digital platform designed to strengthen community-led water conservation efforts by enabling citizens, institutions and local bodies to document and showcase water conservation, rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge initiatives.

Reinforcing the vision of “Whole of Government and Whole of Society”, the platform will promote Jan Bhagidari, behavioural change, local participation and grassroots innovations as key drivers of long-term water security and climate resilience.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti and ISRO are also expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (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.

–IANS

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