Matribhumi Samachar English
As part of the 8th India Water Week 2024, National Jal Jeevan Mission, hosted a roundtable discussion on ‘Imagining Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Water’, in New Delhi today. This session, a highlight of the International WASH Conference, focused on leveraging technology to tackle India’s growing water crisis, aligning with the event’s theme: ‘Partnerships and Cooperation for Inclusive Water Development and Management’.
The session convened thought leaders from government, academia, and philanthropy, exploring how DPI could catalyze innovation in water management. Panelists discussed DPI’s potential to foster collaboration, minimize inefficiencies, and revolutionize water management systems across sectors.
Shri Ashok Kumar Meena, Officer on Special Duty (D/o Drinking Water and Sanitation – DDWS, M/o Jal Shakti) chaired the session. He emphasized, “Data is the engine for development,” and highlighted Jal Jeevan Mission’s role in digital transformation through the integration of SBM and JJM platforms. He stressed the need for a DPI-driven water sector, with people at the center of all systems.
The session was moderated by Shri Nilaya Mitash, Principal Operations Coordination Specialist, Asian Development Bank. Shri Mitash underscored DPI’s transformative impact across sectors and encouraged cooperation between government departments, civil society, and the research community in building water DPI.
Other panelists included Ms. Sunita Nadhamuni, Chairperson, Arghyam who called for the urgent need to conceptualize a water DPI, drawing on the successes of the health sector’s digital infrastructure. She emphasized community engagement as a key pillar in effective water management.
Shri Anand Mohan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti highlighted the Ministry’s 30-year-long efforts in creating comprehensive datasets on groundwater, surface water, and water quality, and the improvements made in data granularity and usability.
Dr. Manoj Kumar Tiwari, Associate Professor, IIT Kanpur stressed the importance of high-quality data infrastructure, noting its critical role in spurring innovation and informing research and decision-making in the water sector.
Key Objectives of the Roundtable Discussion
- Understanding current technological applications in water management.
- Drawing lessons from DPI implementations in other sectors and their applicability to water management.
- Exploring DPI as a catalyst for improved water outcomes and departmental convergence.
Key Takeaway from the Discussion
The session sparked valuable insights into how Digital Public Infrastructure for water could look in the future. Concepts such as standards and interoperable APIs, trusted data registries, and core building blocks that feed into these registries were explored. This vision enables the creation of an innovation ecosystem vital for addressing the water crisis and building a resilient, water-secure India.
