Indian Interest

http://israel-india.info/Article.aspx?id=1422

"The upcoming visit of India’s water minister to Israel is a very important step forward in furthering bilateral ties", said Ohad Horsandi, the spokesman of the Israeli Embassy in New Delhi.
Horsandi said that one of the main purposes of Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti’s trip to Israel is “to gain first-hand knowledge of Israeli technologies and expertise in the water sector — including desalination and urban water systems — and how these techniques can be implemented back in India.”
According to Horsandi, one of the most significant aspects of the relationship between the two countries is the optimization of Israeli agricultural expertise and technology - and water conservation. As India grapples with the latter, he said, “This year, water has been at the center of our attention.”
And Israel, he said, is a world leader in making agriculture flourish in an arid environment with limited water.
Horsandi added that 80 percent of Israel’s domestic wastewater is treated and recycled for agricultural use, with nearly 50 percent of total water used for agriculture. India is one of many countries to have adopted the Israel-pioneered drip irrigation system, which provides just the amount of water needed, drop by drop, to the roots of plants, thereby conserving water.
“The challenges Israel faced only a few years ago are not much different to what India is facing today. That is why our cooperation seems natural,” Horsandi said. “Still, there are many difference between Israel and India, and it would be unrealistic to expect ‘cut and paste’ solutions to work, but that doesn’t mean a lot can’t be done.”
“Through the Embassy in Delhi, we have been discussing a number of ways to cooperate with India in the field of water. A visit by the minister herself is a significant move towards the implementation of additional projects,” Horsandi said, adding that under the current phase of the IIAP, the number of projects will expand from nine to 15 states across India and include up to 26 Centers of Excellence.