Indian, Singapore entities start discussing joint training programs for water sector

Indian and Singapore entities have initiated discussions for conducting joint training programmes to prepare industry and municipalities on managing water resources. The CII-Triveni Water Institute has initiated discussions with Singapore's Public Utilities Board (PUB) in this regard.

CII-Triveni Water Institute brings together Government, industry and community to work towards improving water resource efficiencies across various levels and scales i.e., plant, city, district, state, river basin.

PUB is a statutory board under the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE). It is the national water agency, which manages Singapore's water supply, water catchment, and used water in an integrated way.

"We need to have the industry and municipalities ready to deal with climate extremes to make sure that water continue to remain in supply even during times of drought and floods," said Dr Kapil Kumar Narula, Executive Director and CEO CII-Triveni Water Institute of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

The discussions on joint training programmes began this week at the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW).

"We are also looking at emerging new contaminants from industries such as micro plastics in water and how to manage it," he said on Thursday at the India Business Forum held as part of the SIWW.

"We hope to see more collaboration on these areas and industrial technologies," he said.

A high-level meeting between India and Singapore in the coming months will also be addressing the issue of water resources, said the Indian High Commissioner, Shilpak Ambule in his opening address at the forum.

"We very much like to make the issue of water resources one of the important pillars of cooperation between our two countries," said the envoy, hoping to follow up on two to three concrete outcomes from the business gatherings at the SIWW.