For the past six years, the German state of Baden-Württemberg and the Indian state of Maharashtra collaborated under a state partnership. One focus of the partnership is cooperation in the field of environmental technology. Rapid economic and population growth, as well as the increasingly noticeable effects of climate change, are presenting many Indian cities with major challenges in securing their water supply. Through the "Smart Water Quality Monitoring" project, Umwelttechnik BW is supporting the city of Solapur in the monitoring of its water treatment at the city's largest treatment plant Soreagon Water Works. The collected data will also be used to identify further measures to improve the drinking water supply on a sustainable basis. Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economics, Labour and Tourism fund the project. 

During the ceremonial launch of the measurements, Solapur City Mayor Srikanchana Yennam and Shivanand Patil, Leader of House of Solapur City, welcomed the collaboration among the German and Indian partners. Mayor Yennam underlined the invitation for a delegation from Baden-Württemberg to Solapur as well as the cooperation for a German-Indian Water Day. The project participants were pleased about the success that the installation and commissioning of the measurement technology from Germany could be realized without major difficulties. 

The data transfer to an online cloud also went smoothly. The high-resolution sensor data on important drinking water parameters are collected via the cloud for subsequent evaluations. The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB), which is providing technical and scientific support to the project, will conduct a detailed evaluation of the water quality data and prepare corresponding recommendations for action. 

"The project was slowed down significantly by the corona pandemic, which affected India severely," said project manager Marc Beckett of Fraunhofer IGB. "We were able to compensate for travel to India through digital meetings. I am very grateful to the German and Indian partners for their commitment and flexibility. It was important to have good project partners on site who took over organizational and technical tasks. This shows the importance of the follow-up project AQUA-Hub in Solapur and Coimbatore, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. Part of the project is the establishment of hub managers to strengthen Indo-German cooperation on the ground," Mr. Beckett continues.