Bengaluru made news for water shortage in March this year and now Delhi is facing a water crisis as a prolonged heatwave grips North India, even as the monsoon brings renewed fears of flooding. Given all facts, two agreements between the Central Water Commission (CWC) and IIT Roorkee to deal with
pressing issues in water resources management and urban flooding has come at the right time.
The joint initiative will, through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) focus on improved water resources management with assessment of rrigation efficiency, conducting of comprehensive water accounting studies and mapping cropped areas under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana.
The second MoU will address urban flooding with focus on forecasting, numerical flood inundation and hazard mapping and urban flood risk management.
The agreements signed by Kushvinder Vohra, Chairman of CWC, and Professor Kamal Kishore Pant, Director of IIT Roorkee, mark a collaborative effort to develop innovative solutions for efficient water management and urban flood resilience, a statement said.
A certificate programme is also planned by CWC and IIT-R for water auditors and to evaluate the impact of climate change on water resources, PTI has reported.
These efforts aim to improve water management practices and boost agricultural productivity, aligning with government objectives.
Flood control measures will be put in place by leveraging data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning. The collaboration aims to produce precise flood susceptibility maps and robust resilience mechanisms. This initiative supports government strategies to enhance urban infrastructure and disaster preparedness.
"The expertise of IIT Roorkee in water resources management, combined with the practical insights of the CWC, will drive innovation in irrigation efficiency, water accounting and urban flood forecasting. This partnership is poised to foster a culture of innovation that promotes efficient water resources management," Professor Ashish Pandey, Bharat Singh Chair Professor for Water Resources, said.
On the importance of the MoUs, Vohra said the agreements represent a major step forward in the commission's efforts to manage water resources and urban flooding effectively.
"By integrating CWC's experience with IIT Roorkee's cutting-edge research capabilities, we aim to develop solutions that benefit society and enhance resilience against natural disasters," he said.
The CWC and IIT Roorkee have agreed to work together for five years, with the possibility of extending the partnership. Their joint efforts will focus on improving irrigation efficiency, studying water usage, mapping crop areas and understanding the effects of climate change.
They will also work on predicting urban floods, mapping flood risks and using advanced technology to enhance urban flood resilience.
The collaboration aims to support government initiatives and leverage IIT Roorkee's expertise to develop solutions that benefit society by improving water management and protecting against floods, the statement said.
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