Hyderabad: The Centre on Tuesday said it was
trying to get "best solutions" from within the country and
abroad to overcome water challenges.
"We have identified 27 types of water challenges like
salinity, iron, fluoride, less water and distant source. All
these challenges are on one side and there are some 50-60
solutions on the other side, both in India and abroad," Union
Minister of State for Science and Technology Prithviraj Chavan
said today.
"We are not standing on formalities and we will get best
solutions from anywhere," Chavan told a press conference here.
The minister was here to inaugurate a structural facility
at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB).
Chavan said the Supreme Court has directed the Department
of Science and Technology (DST) to solve the water problems in
the country.
"The Secretary of DST is reporting to the Supreme Court
on the action taken every two months. We are asking people to
come up with technologies and encouraging competition to
create alternative technologies. We will then find out which
technology is best for households, schools, hospitals, small
villages."
Chavan said the Department of Earth Sciences has done
some work on de-salination plants. A one lakh litre capacity
plant using the low-temperature thermal de-salination process
was installed at Cavaratti in Lakshadweep Islands four years
ago, while two more plants were being built.
"The entire population of the Island is using this water
which has many health benefits. The Department of Atomic
Energy has built a large de-salination plant at Chennai while
the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and Defence
Research Development Organisation and other agencies have also
been working on such technologies," the Minister said.
"Let people come with technologies and we will pay them
to set up water plants," Chavan added.
PTI
