Exclusive: Israel’s integrated water management project in UP to be ready by 2022

Israel has emerged as a leading player in the field of water management and micro-irrigation technologies as the country faced acute water shortage. It was required to develop a unique approach to tide over its problem of water scarcity which has now been shared with other countries.

New Delhi: Israel a world leader in water management and drip irrigation technologies hopes to operationalise its first integrated water management project in Uttar Pradesh in the next two years. Israel is working with Uttar Pradesh government to set up a project that will showcase our holistic approach to water management and agriculture together, said Ron Malka, Israel’s ambassador to India.

Israel, which has fast emerged as one of India’s closest partners in the field of defence and security, is also cooperating with the country in the field of water management.

Israel has emerged as a leading player in the field of water management and micro-irrigation technologies as the country faced acute water shortage. It was required to develop a unique approach to tide over its problem of water scarcity which has now been shared with other countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Israel in July 2018, pushed for greater cooperation between the two countries in the field of water management and agriculture.

A three year (2018-20) joint agriculture cooperation programme between the two countries are already underway. It envisage setting up of 28 Centres of Excellence (CEOs) across the country.

“What we want to do here in India, especially in UP, to have a project, to showcase our holistic approach of agriculture and water together,” Ron Malka, Israel’s ambassador told ETV Bharat in an exclusive interaction at Defence Expo in Lucknow.

Ron Malka also met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday to finalise the details of its proposed water management project in the state.

“We are going to take an area in Uttar Pradesh and we are going to bring all our ecosystem, all the ways in which we manage water, resources and usage and agriculture together and make a holistic project,” he told ETV Bharat.

In July last year, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had sought Israel’s help in solving the water crisis in Bundelkhand area of the state that faces acute water shortage.

“Israel and Bundelkhand have several geographical similarities and Israel can help in solving the problem of water in the region,” chief minister Yogi Adityanath had said.

Ambassador Ron Malka told ETV Bharat that Israel hopes to complete the first integrated agriculture water management project in the state by 2022.

(Article by Senior Journalist Krishnanand Tripathi)