Chandigarh (Naval Kishore): Chandigarh Chief Secretary H. Rajesh Prasad, IAS, is leading a high-level Indian delegation to the Czech Republic for a five-day mission focused on water management, waste management and the circular economy.
The delegation’s visit, scheduled from September 21 to 25, aims to strengthen cooperation between India and the Czech Republic in areas including sustainable water management, wastewater treatment, recycling, resource efficiency and environmental technologies.
Addressing the inaugural session in Prague, Prasad highlighted the need to develop and strengthen the water economy, particularly in the Indian context. He said water should be treated as a strategic resource and stressed the importance of conservation, efficient utilisation, wastewater treatment, reuse, recycling and sustainable governance.
India-Czech Cooperation On Water Management
Prasad emphasised the need to bring together public policy, technology, academic research and industry-led implementation to address emerging water and environmental challenges.
He said international partnerships could help identify innovative solutions that can be scaled and adapted to India’s urban, industrial and agricultural requirements.
The Czech Republic’s Deputy Minister of the Environment, Ivo Marcin, welcomed the Indian delegation and highlighted the importance of international cooperation in tackling shared environmental challenges.
He also stressed the need to move beyond conventional waste disposal towards reuse, recycling, recovery and efficient resource utilisation.
IIT Ropar, Chitkara University Representatives Join Delegation
The delegation includes representatives from public administration, policymaking, academia, research institutions and companies.
Professors and academic representatives from IIT Ropar and Chitkara University are also participating in the mission, bringing a research and innovation component to the India-Czech engagement.
The initiative was undertaken by Major Guneet Chaudhary, Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic, with support from the Embassy of the Czech Republic in India and the Czech Ministry of the Environment.
Prague, Zlín And Ostrava On Mission Itinerary
The official programme covers Prague, Zlín and Ostrava, where the Indian delegation will meet Czech government authorities, companies, universities and research institutions.
The discussions are expected to cover technology collaboration, joint research, pilot projects, institutional partnerships, investment opportunities and business-to-business engagement.
The five-day mission is aimed at facilitating practical partnerships between Indian and Czech stakeholders in water management, waste management and circular economy solutions.
The discussions will also provide an opportunity to examine technologies and approaches that could potentially be adapted to India’s urban, industrial and agricultural needs.
