Indore (Madhya Pradesh): IIT Indore inaugurated the Centre for Narmada River Basin Management Studies on July 14, 2024, as part of the project for the ‘Narmada River Basin Management’ from ‘Ministry of Jal Shakti’. The inauguration was done by Dr. Sameer V. Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO. Dr. K. Sivan, Chairperson, BOG IIT Indore, Prof. Suhas S. Joshi, Director, IIT Indore and Prof. Vinod Tare, IIT Kanpur were also present during the inauguration.
The Centre would be working on the project wherein mapping of the entire basin of about 1,000 kms of Narmada River in the state of Madhya Pradesh will be done. A prototype in the form of 3-D model of Narmada River Basin was also presented that helped illustrate various complexities and challenges in mapping as well as protecting the basin environment. Various scientific studies done on Narmada Basin were also demonstrated to the dignitaries.
Dr. Kamat appreciated the efforts of IIT Indore team of faculty members Prof. Preeti Sharma, Prof. Kiran Bala and Prof. Mayur Jain led by Prof. Manish Goyal on their efforts in contributing to the Narmada River Basin and thereby evolving an ecosystem for water management in the State of Madhya Pradesh.
Dr. Sivan highlighted the importance on working for the betterment of the society and said that projects like these would directly help the society in terms of environment restoration as well as commercial river activities.
Professor Vinod Tare, IIT Kanpur, who pioneered ‘Namami Ganga’ project, highlighted the importance of integrated river basin management and the need for sustainable practices to preserve the Narmada River’s health. He also emphasized on the need of scientific evidence for making policies.
Prof. Joshi said “We will be bringing together experts, practitioners, and academicians, to foster a collaborative environment to address the pressing issues facing the Narmada River Basin. We need to have integrated management approaches and the active involvement of local communities to preserve this vital water resource.”
The Institute also hosted a one-day workshop to shed light on the critical issues faced by the Narmada River Basin and to discuss potential solutions through expert lectures and collaborative discussions. The workshop focussed on Communitarian Ecosystem Restoration in the Narmada River Basin with special reference to Alirajpur district, Community-led Campaign to Revive Narmada, Importance of Forest Commons in the Narmada Basin, Water Conservation, Rainwater Harvesting & Groundwater Rejuvenation Activities and Environmental Concerns in the Narmada River Basin.
Prof. Manish Goyal, faculty member leading the project as well as the workshop at IIT Indore said “The open discussion provided a platform for all participants to share their insights and collaborate on devising a way forward for sustainable management of the Narmada River Basin.”
