Israel offers India assistance in water sector and Clean Ganga.

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Israel has offered its expertise and experience in the areas of water management, recycling & reuse, industrial water teatment & management and river rejuvenation to India, looking to expand on the cooperation that exists between the two countries in the areas of agriculture & irrigation and defence.

Already, several Israeili companies like desalination major IDE Technologies, irrigation major Netafim and water treatment and filtration solutions provider AMIAD, are present in India and have undertaken several projects across the states.

The Israeli Government is now keen to expand on the scope of bilateral cooperation and is looking forward to having more Israeli companies offer solutions and products in the Indian water market.

An Israeli delegation of experts and officials will be in India next week to share their expertise and experience during the India Water Week 2016, for which Israel is the partner country this year.

The delegation, led by Israel's Minister for agriculture Uri Ariel, will look to collaborate with the Central and state Governments in India besides Israeli companies looking to forge alliances and offer their solutions to the private sector and states.

India and Israel have had excellent bilateral diplomatic relations and have collaborated in the areas of agriculture and irrigation besides defence and security issues. Israel has set up Centres of Excellence (CoE) across several Indian states including Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Karnataka through which Indian farmers and officials from the state Government's agriculture department have benefitted from Israeli expertise and knowhow in agriculture.

"We are now looking to expand on our relations in other areas", said Israel’s Ambassador to India David Carmon.

Israeli companies are already engaged in desalination and have set up eight seawater desalination plants in the municipal and private sector and many smaller companies are present in India, indicated Carmon.

"Israel is looking to offer its technologies in several other areas in water - management of urban infrastructure, recycling, desalination, agriculture & irrigation, metering, industrial and domestic wastewater and large scale water projects. We can be there through the Government umbrella that promotes industry participation", said Carmon.

The Israeli Ambassador recalled that Benjamin Netanyahu had suggested water conservation and management as possible areas of cooperation between the two countries during President Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to the country late last year. The propoal was again floated during External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s visit earlier this year.

Israel is willing to collaborate with India on several of its flagship schemes like the mega irrigation scheme, Swacch Bharat Mission, Smart City Mission, AMRUT programme and the Clean Ganga project, he added.

Source: indiawaterreview.in 

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