A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on friendship and cooperation was signed between the Tata Trusts and Waternet International, the Water Cycle Utility of Amsterdam, for three years. The MoU was signed by B.S. Taraporevala, Secretary and Chief Accountant of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Allied Trusts, and R.R. Kruize, General Director of Waternet International, on March 27, 2015, in Mumbai.
It seeks to strengthen the understanding and bonds of friendship between the two organisations, for the enrichment of knowledge, and to promote close, long-lasting cooperative relations in various fields and on different levels.
The MoU will look into:
1. Possible opportunities for linkages with the Tata Water Mission, to look at integrated drinking water and environmental sanitation programmes along with hygiene and waste water management.
2. Technology transfer for working on coastal salinity ingression issues through integrated water management (drinking, domestic and agricultural use) within one of Tata Trusts’ programmes in the coastal areas of Gujarat.
3. Promoting decentralised drinking water and sanitation management, including working on waste water management in the rural/peri-urban/urban context, wherein the technology being promoted by Waternet International could be utilised for integrated working.
4. Piloting of technological innovations in the area of safe drinking water, sanitation and water management.
5. Bringing in technological aspects for planning, implementation and monitoring of the River Basin Approach similar to the Water Cycle Approach at Amsterdam.
6. Opportunities for village-level waste water management.
7. Technology aspects involved in the aquifer recharge programme, which can be linked to the IWMI-TATA programme, along with a pilot in one of the municipalities to look at water management.
8. Exploring the possibilities of local systems for water quality monitoring and control.
