A constituent laboratory of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)
(AUTONOMOUS ORGANISATION UNDER THE DEPT. OF SCIENTIFIC & INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH, MINISTRY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, GOVT. OF INDIA)
Introduction (Vision & Mission)
Providing drinking water has become one of the major challenges in the world today with the ever increasing population and limited fresh water resources. India is faced with multifaceted issues related to accessing drinking water and assuring the safety of drinking water.Several states in India face acute problems of safe water supply to its citizens. About 54% of India faces high to extremely high water stress. The available surface water bodies such as lakes/ponds/rivers are also contaminated and bacteriologically unsafe for consumption. The ground water at places is contaminated with geogenic pollutants such as fluoride, arsenic, iron, uranium, nitrate etc., making it unfit for drinking. Cities, with their expanding population and peripheries, generate sewage which is not wholly handled by existing infrastructure and is discharged into the water bodies. During 2015,the estimated sewage generation in the country was 61754 MLD as against the developed sewage treatment capacity of 22963 MLD (Central Pollution Control Board, 2015).All these factors make water scarce in quantity and unsafe in quality day by day and many agencies have taken up challenge to keep it as pristine as possible. Notwithstanding increase in demand for more and safe water, prudent efforts are being made to make this precious resource accessible to common man by many of us. Gradual decline in per capita water availability in India mainly due to increase in population and boisterous exploitation have made us to learn and adopt judicious practices to save water; advent of several classical and emerging chemical contaminants and plethora of pathogenic microorganisms have led to invention and treatment to make water potable in order to protect health of consumers.
Water Technology & Management Division (WTMD) was established with an aim and focus of addressing the issues related to water and carry out research and development activities pertaining to water quality monitoring and surveillance, water treatment, water safety plan, water security plan, contaminant transport studies, hydrogeological investigations and water audits.WTMD has a history of various technology/processes development in the field of surface and ground water treatment for providing potable drinking water to large and small communities with constant efficiency and at an affordable price. One of the significant contributions was that of the development of NalgondaTechnique of defluoridation in the 60’s and 70’s. It was identified as one of the efficient and cost effective technique that is still in practice in countries like Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania.The work being carried out at WTMD is closely aligned with major missions of Government of India including Swastha Bharat, Swachh Bharat, Make in India, Innovate in India and Namami Ganga.WTMD has 11 scientific/technical andabout 20 researchers/project staff andnow has about 20 major projects with total contract value of Indian Rupee 125 million.
WTMDis the only WHO collaborating Centre for Water and Sanitation in India.
Major research areas
Technology Development and Implementation
WTMD has historically developed several technologies such as Nalgonda Technique for defluoridation, pot chlorinator etc. Following technologies are still in vogue:
NEERI-Zar Portable Instant Water FilterSolar Energy Based Electrolytic Defluoridation Plants
Equipments
Projects (Multilateral and bilateral collaborative project)
Commissioned treatment plant at Ordnance Factory Ambajhari, Nagpur
Projects (supported by Ministry/ Departments of Government of India)
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Projects (supported by State Government Organisation)
