One of the most useful collaborative efforts could be in the area of water management between Israel & India.An eight member delegation from Israel was visiting India in the second week of August, 2011.
Addressing a B2B meeting in Chennai (Thursday, August 11 2011) on Israeli Water Technology hosted by CII Southern Region and the Consulate General of Israel Mumbai, Elad Gafni , the Consul pointed out that Israel had developed water technology prowess by turning a resource challenge into an opportunity. By 2013 over 70% of drinking water in Israel would be supplied by the desalination plants, he said. Faced with 45% water deficit it manages to provide 250 litres of water daily to its 7 million population by water management, water economy and water technology. In fact over 75 per cent of the water is reused in the country.
We should appreciate the Israeli Ministry of Industry and Trade for having signed an MOU with the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai on leveraging water technologies including management and pricing, as announced by Mr Gafni.
He further pointed out that a G2G interface is also proposed later this year between their water experts and the officials of Government of Tamil Nadu for collaboration in water technology.
We are quite slow in adopting successfully the developed technology to suit our needs although we spend lot of time in studying, visiting and planning. The inner urge to do something better and cheaper is missing from many of our planners and administrators. So I am bit apprehensive of the needed response and follow-up from our government agencies even after seeing the suo moto initiative extended by the Israel Government. Way back in 1995-96 when the then Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Agriculture Mr Subash Yadav formed a delegation of several senior officials in charge of agriculture, irrigation, agro-industries Corporation, Co-operative Marketing Federation, Marketing Board etc., of the Government of Madhya Pradesh and reached Delhi for onward journey to Israel, the government headed by Mr Digvijay Singh ensured its cancellation at the last minute through intervention from PMO. That was the type of encouragement one gets in the present set-up. Genuine proposals and sincere efforts are not supported by the establishment on some extraneous considerations. That explains the inordinate delay in pursuing good and valuable projects and programmes so far in the country. One shoud wish god speed and success in the latest efforts of Israeli delegation to India in 2011.
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