Ranchi, Sept 19: The Jharkhand government plans to collaborate with academic institutions to improve the implementation, maintenance and quality of drinking-water schemes across the state, an official said on Saturday.
The Drinking Water and Sanitation (DWS) Department is preparing to sign Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, Ranchi University and Nirmala College, Ranchi, under which the institutions will work as knowledge and technical partners.
DWS Secretary Abu Imran held discussions with officials and faculty members of the institutions on Friday regarding the department’s operation and maintenance policy.
The proposed collaboration will focus on providing technical assistance in areas such as water-supply system design, detection of pipeline leaks and the operation and maintenance of drinking-water infrastructure.
The institutions will also participate in joint research aimed at assessing water quality across Jharkhand. The studies will examine parameters including iron, fluoride and total dissolved solids (TDS).The government also plans to prepare an action plan to assess the impact of environmental degradation on water sources in mining areas. Dhanbad and Jharia have been identified as key areas for the assessment.
The initiative is aimed at understanding the challenges affecting water sources in such regions and developing measures to protect their long-term sustainability.Officials said the involvement of academic institutions is expected to bring specialised technical knowledge and research support to the department, helping improve the quality and reliability of drinking-water services.
The proposed MoUs will formalise cooperation between the government and the academic institutions and are expected to provide a framework for technical studies, research and support for water-supply schemes across the state.
