The 5th India-EU Water Forum on Water Cooperation will take place on 27 October 2022 from 9.15 am – 6 pm IST in New Delhi (The Lalit Hotel, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi 110001). The Water Forum takes place under the India-EU Water Partnership between the EU and Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India and will be a one-day in-presence forum.  

The 5th India - EU Water Forum on Water Cooperation aims to bring together a wide range of stakeholders from both India and the EU and its EU Member States with the objective to exchange views on good practices, regulatory approaches, business solutions and research and innovation opportunities in the water field in India and the EU. The Forum is a platform to showcase the achievements of the IN-EU Water partnership and to reflect on its future developments.

The 5th India – EU Water Forum will include four sessions:

Session 1: India EU Water Cooperation - Opening Session

Session 2: India EU Water Partnership Action – Technical Sessions on 4 Key Areas: River Basin Management, Irrigation and Efficient Water Use, Environmental Flows Assessment and Safe Reuse of Treated Water (SRTW)

Session 3: Thematic Session - How to address future Water challenges?  Perspectives from EU and India

Session 4: Session on Research and Innovation, progress and barriers to the uptake of the EU and India Water research and innovation solutions.

Programme of the India-EU Water Forum is attached.

A team of experts led by Dr. Christoph Hugi, University of Applied Science and Arts, North-Western Switzerland, undertook first mission to India. The objective of the mission was to kick-off the technical implementation of the IEWP Action Plan for Safe Reuse of Treated Water. A field visit to Panipat town in Haryana was carried out together with a team from the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) on 04 and 05 May to explore the best-fit business models to promote/support the implementation of SRTW in Panipat town towards development of a Solution Document.

A multidisciplinary team comprising of 4 EU experts and Indian experts/participants from the National Mission for Clean Ganga, Central Water Commission, Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Wildlife Institute of India, Central Pollution Control Board and IEWP Action Project Management Unit, GIZ India undertook a mission/field visit to Ramganga River Basin (Bareilly, Jalalabad and Ramnagar). The objective of the field visit was to undertake hydrological, hydraulic and ecological surveys (for lean season) to collect the relevant field data towards E-Flows Assessment in the Ramganga Basin. Along with the data collection, a hands-on interdisciplinary training on E-Flows specific field assessments and eco-hydrological data collection was also carried out.

A team of IEWP RBM Experts comprising of 5 EU experts and 1 national expert undertook a mission to India from 23 to 27 May 2022. During the mission, a field visit to Surat, Gujarat was successfully accomplished followed by a meeting with the Nodal Officer of State Government of Gujarat. During the mission, EU experts had successful meetings with the officials from Central Water Commission, Central Ground Water Board, National Mission for Clean Ganga and National River Conservation Directorate to have a discussion on the topics to be detailed in the Tapi RBM Plan for all the Key Water Management Issues (surface and groundwater).  

For the ongoing IEWP Action Phase 2, the Ministry of Jal Shakti has reconstituted the Tapi River Basin Committee in March 2021 with inclusion of members from Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, National Mission for Clean Ganga and Regional Offices of the Central Water Commission in the Tapi Basin. The Committee had its 4th successful meeting on 27 May 2022.   As an outcome of the meeting, members of the Tapi River Basin Committee have consented to the approach presented by the EU RBM experts for detailing and revisiting the Tapi RBM Plan.    

In its 3rd Meeting (9 October 2020) the Tapi River Basin Committee adopted the Tapi River Basin Management Plan (Tapi RBM Plan) that has been developed under the India-EU Water Partnership. Many Indian and EU Experts have been working together over the last two years to achieve this important milestone. The 3rd Tapi River Basin Committee Meeting was attended by the Secretary of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the members of the Tapi River Basin Committee including Tapi Basin States, representatives from the EU Delegation and IEWP/GIZ Project Management Unit as well as the EU Experts.

The Tapi RBM Plan is fully aligned to good practices of the European Union. Five Key Water Management Issues have been identified and agreed by the Tapi Basin States. These have been addressed with a Risk Assessment and measures to reduce possible impacts of surface waters and groundwaters in the Tapi River Basin. The Tapi RBM Plan together with its Programme of Measures and the thematic Tapi Maps follow integrated management towards targeted planning and well-informed decision making for the entire Tapi River Basin that is shared by three States.

In the upcoming Phase 2 of the India-EU Water Partnership (starting on 1 November 2020) the Tapi RBM Plan will be detailed and the gradual implementation of the Programme of Measures will be facilitated by the IEWP under the steering of the Tapi River Basin Committee. In addition, it is envisaged to now carry out a broader stakeholder consultation of the Tapi RBM Plan and its Programme of Measures at the Central and State level.

Live Webcast URL:  http://cdn.24fd.com/e20/02/giz/11/index.html

Password:  giz@2020

EU Expert Mr. Andreas Scheidleder is on his third mission to India to support the ongoing Risk Assessment for the Tapi basin’s Groundwater regarding human pressures. 

The mission (20 to 24 January 2020) is organized in cooperation with the Central Ground Water Board and all three Tapi basin States under the India-EU Water Partnership. It is also envisaged to develop the approaches for assessing the impact of solar pumping on groundwater quantity as well as to develop a Programme of Measures. All of this plus surface water issues will be reflected in the Tapi River Basin Management Plan that will be available in September 2020.

The draft Guidance document is prepared under the Prioirty Area 2 of India-EU Water Partnership in cooperation with Central Water Comission, Wildlife Institute of India, Central Inland Fishries Reserach Institute and National Institute of Hydrology. The guidnace document include lessons learnt from the Indian pilot river basins and the European Union. The document aims to support the decision makers in India to strategically decide the policies and measures regarding environmental flows.

The international workshop on Environmental Flows Assessment and Implementation for India-Exchanging Indian, European and International Experiences (New Delhi on 21 - 22 October 2019) is organised by the Indo-German cooperation project “Support to Ganga Rejuvenation”  together  with India-EU Water Partnership and its cooperation partners the Ministry of Jal Shakti, NMCG, CWC and other relevant partners. The workshop will bring together EU, international and Indian experts, representatives and stakeholders to share experiences that will contribute to future e-flows assessment in India. Attention will be given to experiences made in Europe through the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive that legally requires the assessment of E-Flows as well as to international good practices. Outcomes aim to support Indian experts, implementers, decision makers and other relevant stakeholders in formulating future strategies, approaches and policies regarding environmental flows in Indian rivers and their basins. The learnings from the workshop will be incorporated in a dedicated Guidance Document on E-Flows that is being developed under Priority Area -2 of the India-EU Water Partnership.

Reuse of treated wastewater is one of the priority areas of the India-EU Water Partnership (IEWP). A process towards policy development makes use of experiences in implementation, technological improvements and innovations from the European Union (EU).

With an aim to gain further insights through knowledge exchange the India-EU Water Partnership, the National Mission for Clean Ganga and the National Water Mission are jointly organizing two session on ‘Reuse of Treated Wastewater in India and the EU – Potential, Progress and Challenges’ and Business Session: Innovation in Treated Wastewater Reuse Practices and Technologies during the 6th India Water Week (www.indiawaterweek.in) at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on 26th September 2019 (10:00-17:00; Room 2 &3).

The detailed programme of the session is provided clicking the download button.

A Roundtable Discussion on ‘Treated Wastewater Reuse Polices and Approaches in India and the European Union: A Comparative Assessment’ was convened on 23 July 2019 in close cooperation with National Mission for Clean Ganga and National Water Mission.

The objectives of the discussion were:

1. to compare the elements included in treated wastewater reuse policies and approaches;
2. to discuss implementation challenges, possible solutions and a strategic way forward towards formulation of a national policy framework on reuse of treated wastewater

75 participants from Ministry of Jal Shakti, its allied institutions (CWC, CGWB, NMCG, NWM), Academia and Research, representatives from States, Public & Private Industries, IEWP/GIZ PMU participated in the discussion.

The first meeting of newly and formally established Tapi River Basin Committee was successfully held. All members of the committee including Central Water Commission/Ministry of Jal Shakti, Central Ground Water Board, the basin states and representatives from the European Union Delegation to India, IEWP/GIZ PMU and EU Expert participated in the meeting. The Committee discussed the five joint Key Water Management Issues (KWMIs) and jointly agreed on the overall Aims to be achieved in the Tapi River Basin as well as on Tapi Visions and Management Objectives for all the KWMIs towards development of Tapi River Basin Management Plan. As a next step the Committee agreed to collect data from the Central and State Government offices and to undertake the Risk Assessment for all the KWMIs as a key part of the Tapi RBM Plan.

EU Expert Mr. Guido Schmidt and IEWP/GIZ PMU team has meeting with the Chief Engineer, National Water Academy and team on 30 May 2019. During the meeting joint agreement is made on strategy for developing capacity building activities under Priority Area 7 of India EU Water Partnership.

To develop the Tapi River Basin Management Plan most effectively, the Indian authorities established a formal Tapi River Basin Committee under the IEWP on 27 May 2019. The Committee brings together the Indian national level and all three Tapi States to jointly develop the Tapi River Basin Management Plan under the IEWP. In addition, the Committee involves the EU Delegation as well as the IEWP/GIZ Project Management Unit and its EU Team of Consultants to support the technical work towards the Tapi RBM Plan.

EU Expert Mr. Andreas Scheidleder during his second mission to India provided hands-on technical support to the experts from the Headquarter and Regional Offices (Tapi Basin) of Central Ground Water Board at CGWB, NCR, Bhopal from 13 to 17 May 2019. During this mission joint efforts were made to carry out the Pressure and Impact Analysis along with Risk Assessment for groundwater quality and quantity of selected groundwater management units identified in the Tapi basin states.

End of March 2019,  5 Key Water Management Issues (KWMIs) have been agreed by representatives of the three Indian States sharing the Tapi River Basin (Gujarat; Maharashtra; Madya Pradesh). The decision was made in a meeting (Ukai Dam, Gujarat) by the Joint Tapi Stakeholder Group that has been established to develop a pilot Tapi River Basin Management Plan (Tapi RBM Plan) within the frame of the India-EU Water Partnership.  

The five KWMIs are: (1 Pollution from Urban Areas and Industries; (2) Pollution from Agriculture; (3) Alterations of River Hydrology/Water Quantity; (4) Alterations of Groundwater Quality and Quantity; (5) Alterations of River Structure through Sand Mining. Next steps will include the definition of corresponding management objectives and the assessment of possible impacts on the set objectives from pressures that are related to the 5 KWMIs. The pilot Tapi RBM Plan is aimed to be available by June 2020. Updates will be provided regularily.

Within the IEWP-PR2, a Joint Technical Working Group (two renowned EU experts, representatives of Central Water Commission, Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute; IEWP/GIZ PMU) undertook the field visit in Mahanadi Delta during 15-19 April 2019. On Thursday, 18 April 2019; a “Training/Workshop on Environmental Flow Assessment-Approaches; Focus: Ecological Approaches and Assessments – experiences from the EU” was held at the premises of CWC MERO, Bhoinagar, Bhuvneshwar. This training workshop served the exchange and training on i) ecological considerations in E-Flow assessments, ii) key challenges and approaches for e-flow assessments in estuaries/wetlands and iii) collection and interpretation of ecological data towards e-flow assessments. EU good practices and related applications in Indian river basins were discussed.

The joint workshop (technical meeting) was organized on 21 and 22 May 2018 in Delhi with an aim to agree and adapt appropriate methodologies for assessment of e-flows in pilot river basins in India. EU Experts from IHE Delft, the Netherlands and CEH, UK along with the subject experts and officers from Central Water Commission, Wildlife Institute of India, National Institute of Hydrology, Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, WWF India and IEWP/GIZ PMU attended this workshop.

The Forum will include three sessions:

• A high-level plenary session.
• A technical session on River Basin Management presenting the IEWP activities in all priority areas.
• A business session exploring opportunities for EU businesses in the Indian water sector.

The joint workshop (technical meeting) was organized on 21 and 22 May 2018 in Delhi with an aim to agree and adapt appropriate methodologies for assessment of e-flows in pilot river basins in India. EU Experts from IHE Delft, the Netherlands and CEH, UK along with the subject experts and officers from Central Water Commission, Wildlife Institute of India, National Institute of Hydrology, Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, WWF India and IEWP/GIZ PMU attended this workshop.

EU Experts from IHE Delft, the Netherlands and CEH, UK along with the subject experts and officers from Central Water Commission, National Institute of Hydrology and IEWP/GIZ PMU visited the Ramganga River from 23 to 25 May 2018 to identify the critical river stretches.

The IEWP Information Exchange on the India-EU Water Partnership was organised in Delhi on 5 September 2018 as part of the B2B discussions. The main objective was to provide comprehensive information to EU MS and EU businesses on the business potential available in the Indian water sector.

A meeting was convened in Gandhinagar with the Additional Secretary and the Chief Engineer Water Resources Department, Govt. of Gujarat and officials of the Ukai Dam Project on 19 November 2018 to identify the Key Water Management Issues (KWMIs) in Gujarat part of Tapi Basin. Identification of KWMIs is the first step towards development of Tapi River Basin Management Plan.

Institutional mechanism has been created both at Indian and the EU side to foster the implementation of the Action Plan. On 26 November 2018, Shri U P Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation reviewed the progress of the implementation of IEWP Action Plan. This meeting was attended by the officers from MoWR, RD& GR, and the Nodal officials of Priority Areas both from the Indian and the EU side.

A meeting was convened at the Tapi Irrigation Development Corporation, Jalgaon with the Chief Engineer, TIDC and other officers on 10 January 2019 to identify the Key Water Management Issues (KWMIs) in Maharashtra part of Tapi Basin.

For identification of the critical sites in the Bharathpuzzah Basin, a field visit was organized from 7 to 11 January 2019 involving the subject experts and officers from the Central Water Commission offices in Delhi and Kerala, and IEWP/GIZ PMU. This exercise served as reconnaissance study for E-flows assessment in Bharathpuzzah River.

The field visit to Mahanadi delta was organized from 28 January to 1 February 2019 to exchange with Odisha State officials and CWC MERO divisional officers on hydrological and ecological status of the delta as a basic step towards assessment of e-flows at pilot site. During the field visit, experience was also gained on various control structures in the Delta and eco-sensitive hotspots. Joint Technical Working Group involving officers/experts of IEWP/GIZ PMU, Central Water Commission, Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute participated in the visit.

For technical inputs on addressing groundwater aspects in Tapi River Basin, covered under Priority Area 1 and 4 of the IEWP Action, Plan, EU Groundwater Expert Mr. Andreas Scheidleder from Environmental Agency Austria was on his first Mission from 21 to 25 January 2019. The objective of the mission was to share and exchange EU Expertise on groundwater issues, assessment and management on the river basin scale with the Indian counterparts in Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and Central Water Commission (CWC) and with the State Administration and Technical Agencies in Tapi River Basin.

A meeting was convened with the Chief Engineer, Narmada Tapti Basin, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh and other officers on 7 February 2019 to identify the Key Water Management Issues (KWMIs) in Madhya Pradesh part of Tapi River Basin.