Water Technology Cell (WTC)* started in 2007 with a thrust on strengthening the capability and capacity of Indian researchers and S&T institutions to encourage research, design, and development of indigenous low cost technological solutions to ensure safe drinking water for the masses. In 2009, based on the directives of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, the WTC initiated and implemented Winning, Augmentation, and Renovation (WAR) for Water.

The programme promotes national and international collaborative developmental research, builds the capacity of research professionals and water managers, evolves methodology for the development of customised solutions suited to social context, and develops synergies with line departments. It also envisages upscaling and replication of proven technologies/ solutions to a credible scale. WTC directly caters to furthering Sustainable Development Goal #6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) which aims to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. The scheme also aligns with the National Missions such as “Swachh Bharat” and “NamamiGange”.

* (formerly Water Technology Initiative)

Programmes

1. Research, Development &Demonstration (RD&D) and Demand Driven convergent solutions

The focus is on winning water from sustainable sources, augmentation of water quality for specific applications, and recycling and reuse of water. This is a need-based demand-oriented thematic initiative encompassing the entire technology development chain to successively progress to higher technology readiness levels, graduating research to technology and eventually culminating into sustainable solutions.

2. Water Technology Research and Innovation Centres (WATER-IC)

Virtual networked centres aim to develop the knowledge base to cater to the various water-relevant issues through supporting R&D for water quality, quantity, and recycle & reuse. These Joint Virtual Networked Centres are expected to nurture knowledge, innovation, and expertise through institutional and human capacity building of water researchers, professionals, community, etc, and to address the gap areas in water technology research, development, demonstration, adaptation, adoption, and commercialization. 

List of established WICs184.14 KB

3. International Collaborations

Fostering international research collaborations leading to innovative bilateral and multilateral programmes for promoting R&D on various water challenges, bringing in a new and holistic perspective to develop customised approaches and solutions.

3.1 DST-NERC Collaboration on Water Quality Research

Recognising the importance of clean water, safe and portable water, India (through DST) and the UK (through Natural Environment Research Council-NERC &Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council - EPSRC) are implementing a collaborative research programme on improving Water Quality with a committed investment of £ 4.2 million from each side, having special thrust on addressing threats due to emerging contaminants (PPCP), online river water quality monitoring and sensor technology. The bilateral programme joins forces on improving Water Quality by providing a better understanding of the transport, transformation, and fate of different pollutants by supporting the development of management strategies and technologies to reduce water pollution levels.

3.2 DST-NWO Joint Programme on Urban Water Systems (Water for Change: W4C)

India (through DST) and the Netherlands (through Netherland Organisation for Scientific Research-NWO) are jointly implementing Indo-Dutch bilateral cooperation programme to address the complex challenges for urban water management in fast-growing cities resulting from population growth, rapid urbanisation, pollution, and the effects of climate change. The focus is on a coherent research programme consisting of multiple complementary projects covering a wide range of disciplines (e.g. sanitary engineering, urban planning & governance, hydrology, ecology, informatics, economics, etc.) providing the synergy required for research on integrated urban water systems.

3.3 DST-NWO Clean Ganga

Furthering the efforts in fostering SDG #2 (Zero Hunger), SDG #6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), and SDG #13 (Climate Action), DST-NWO jointly promoted research contributing to Cleaning the Ganga, which is defined as high priority field for the Indian and Dutch governments and water sector. Focussing particularly on the impact of agriculture on the Ganga water system and the related scopes for interventions in the Hindon sub-basin. 

3.4 DST-NWO Joint Programme on Disaster Management

DST and NWO are jointly promoting implementation, technology development, and technical solutions for flood and drought management while considering the impact of climate change.

4. Desalination Mission: 

The National Mission on Desalination (NMD), was conceptualised in 2017 by the Department in partnership with concerned ministries and departments at the behest of NITI Aayog to ensure water security by providing clean and safe drinking water to the people in water-scarce areas. It aims at identifying and building research capabilities for developing desalination technologies in national scientific institutions including collaborating with global players and other solution providers.

4.1 Centre of Excellence on Desalination

Furthering the efforts under the Desalination Mission, WTC-DST established Centre of Excellence on Desalination at IIT-Bombay to strengthen the capability and capacity of researchers and S&T Institutions to address the water challenge of salinity through low-cost sustainable indigenous desalination technologies.

5. Water Advanced Research & Innovation (WARI) Fellowship

Capacity building of Water researchers and professionals has been one of the key objectives of the Water Technology Initiative under WTC. In 2015, DST and the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, USA launched the Water Advanced Research & Innovation (WARI) Fellowship (Phase -I) initiative to foster cooperation, capacity building, and opportunities and exposure for students and scientists from both countries. WARI has completed its first phase duration spanning three years (2015-2017) and the programme has now been continued as WARI (Phase - II) since 2018. The programme is being implemented and coordinated by the Indo-US Science &Technology Forum (IUSSTF). 

6. Industrial Wastewater reuse and recycling 

To address water scarcity, DST supported knowledge development, technology development, and technology demonstration for striking a balance between water usage, water use efficiency, and water recovery from wastewater streams in Industries. 

Team-Water Technology Cell