By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, DEC 15, 2020: THE Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) has signed an MoU for the development of a sludge management framework in India, in collaboration with the Centre for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (cGanga).

At the India Water Impact Summit on Monday, Mr Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), promised a detailed interaction between Norwegian technology companies and Indian business leaders in water sector to explore joint projects to take advantage of Norwegian technology.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti highlighted the unique challenges of water management in the country and called the MoU "a major breakthrough" for both organisations.

Ms Karina Asbjørnsen, a Norwegian diplomat, shared that Norway intends to deepen relationship with India especially in prevention of climate change and conservation of environment.

"Our mandate to work with India is loud and clear. We are looking forward to deeper engagement," she added.

The NMCG also said they were working with farmers to educate them about water use efficiency as agriculture is one of the main activities for which water is extracted from the rivers. They are collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture to promote organic farming, natural farming and zero budget farming, to cut down water wastage.

India Water Impact 2020 is a five-day long summit, hosting experts and academicians from all over the world to discuss and debate issues related to water conservation, water security and river rejuvenation.