IIT Kharagpur sets up Re-Water Research Center

It was announced on the 68th Foundation Day of IIT-Kharagpur that with the help of two alumni members, the institution will be setting up a Re-Water Research Center. A statement issued on Saturday mentioned that it will help replenish and rejuvenate water resources nearby. It will tackle two cumbersome challenges of an urban India: sewage disposal and access to clean potable water.

One of the alumni members, Aneesh Reddy, who is investing the seed money, responded that “the scarcity of water for drinking and domestic use is becoming acute and will only worsen in the coming years. On the other hand, urban areas are witnessing massive sewage problems. The idea of linking these two crises and coming up with one viable solution is challenging.”

A network with the government will be created by the ‘Aditya Choubey for Re-Water Research’ to move this technology and process to other cities where the water challenges thrive, said Reddy.

The on-campus plant will be set up by the institute and this will be successful in converting 1.35 million liters of sewage water from hostel facilities into 1.2 million liters of potable water and that too on a daily basis. This miracle plant is expected to be ready by March next year.

Prof M M Ghangrekar, faculty at the Department of Civil Engineering will be heading this project: “We will conduct quality assurance tests demonstrating the suitability of the technology for treatment of sewage and the suitability of the treated water for consumption and infuse confidence among all agencies and the public at large related to water supply, treatment.”

The project will be operationally developed in such a way so to attract commercial and profitable ventures. Other alumni, Anant Choubey added that “the project is being developed to attract potential entrepreneurs and government agencies to take up sewage treatment at a large scale and with a business model for banks to gain confidence in funding such businesses.”

Director, IIT-KGP, Professor P P Chakrabarti weighed in by stating the adaptation of similar sustainability models in foreign countries:

“We are looking forward to participatory models in villages to implement this technology. We would also engage international water experts and professionals from the industry as researchers and advisors in this center. Aneesh and Anant will be advisers as well.”