IIT Kharagpur, Edinburgh University organises workshop to address water crisis

NEW DELHI, MAY 18: IIT Kharagpur and the University of Edinburgh (UoE) jointly organised a workshop on rural water quality and management at the IIT campus.

The workshop, funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund of UK, introduced the participants to the problem areas regarding rural water in India. It brought together scientists, engineers, social scientists, social workers as well as industry experts from India and abroad to brainstorm about the issue.

The deliberations led to the ideation of five projects that considered solutions involving technology and nature.

The projects will tap into the interdisciplinary expertise of IIT Kharagpur, UoE and other participants while eventually involving government officials, local institutions, and community-based organizations. One common perspective of the projects is to incorporate local hydro-geology, the social and economic circumstances, and the cultural practices of the villages.

“This joint international workshop aimed at stimulating new collaborative research projects in different aspects of water quality and management in rural areas, including the critical issues such as water treatment, wastewater management, water contamination, energy-water-food nexus, water and ecosystems, etc,” said Prof. Pulak Mishra, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Kharagpur.