CSIR-CMERI develops technology for quality drinking water

Kolkata (PTI): With water scarcity looming large across the globe, CSIR and Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) of Durgapur on Tuesday announced the development of new technologies for supply of quality drinking water.

India is facing drinking water crisis and a Niti Aayog report has predicted that 21 cities of the country would have no drinking water of its own by next year.

Director of CSIR-CMERI Harish Hitani said that the new technologies developed are based on the principles of oxidation, precipitation and filtration. They do not require electric power and are completely green. The technpologies developed by CSIR-CMERI would be transferred to two private companies based in Haryana and Howrah in West Bengal.

"We have developed three technologies for serving quality drinking water from groundwater sources which is free from of contaminations arising out from the presence of iron, arsenic and fluoride", he told a news conference here.

Groundwater is a major source of drinking and agricultural usage in the country. But at a number of locations, contaminants such as arsenic, iron and fluoride in ground water exceed the permissible limits causing severe health hazards, he said.

"To solve such problems, CSIR-CMERI is continuously researching on water conservation as well as water filtration management. The technologies developed are ready for commercialisation" he added.