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 Dr. Sukumar Devotta, Director - NERRI (WDWA 06-07 Jury Member): One of the most pressing global issues facing us today is the lack of safe drinking water. The consequences of economic growth and sustaining the growing population have degraded the country's natural resources to alarming levels resulting in the pollution of land and water along with a host of other problems that only has one message: ‘Act now - tomorrow may be too late’. The challenges to achieve this goal are colossal. It not only involves formulating strategies but also creating general awareness at every level and developing management plans to prevent further degradation. NEERI has been striving towards this goal by designing methods for improved water management systems. Contaminated water threatens everything we hold dear - the health of our children, our economy, our very way of life. Therefore, drinking water is the greatest need of the day. The World Bank has estimated that about 20% of communicable diseases in India are water related. The National Water Policy 2002, is committed to provide adequate safe drinking water facilities to the entire population both in urban and rural India. The access to improved water sources in India is around86% with much lower access in rural areas. This problem is further compounded with natural contaminants like Fluoride and Arsenic. In view of the above, technologies for water treatment at both large and medium scale as well as at the consumer end play extremely important role. Water Digest is playing a catalytic role in promoting various technologies available for water treatment and creating the awareness essential for safe drinking water. Water Digest is also doing a facilitating role, in collaboration with UNESCO by awarding the performers for providing solutions for water crisis and problems. I am extremely happy to be associated in this great endeavour. I wish all the winners of the Water Digest Water Awards for 2007. |
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 N. K. Ranganath, CEO - Grundfos Pumps India Pvt. Ltd.: Water is and has always been a very vital and critical resource for this planet without which there is no life. It is one of the five elements of nature the absence of which will hinder progress and all economic activities will cease. Yet mankind has used this resource with scant respect and has not given due thought for its conservation. There is increasing demand for water for diverse applications and this demand is bound to increase tremendously with the growing economic activity and population. Firstly, we need to increase the awareness on water conservation at all levels and in all forums. Efforts should be made to measure and build a database for specific water consumption in all areas. Every country has to have a comprehensive water policy clearly defining rights of use, norms of consumption, quality and treatment norms for raw water as well as effluents and sewage. Perhaps water should be made a central subject in India. The industry has to adopt norms for ensuring sustainability, as it is the second major consumer of water after agriculture and ensure that zero discharge is not an exception but the rule. Perhaps the best way to do this is to bring in the principle that the polluter should pay and conversely the ones that are excellent in water conservation should be rewarded. At Grundfos ‘We care for you and your water’ is the slogan that we try to live by endeavor's. |
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 Mr. D. Datta, Chairman-cum-Managing Director - WAPCOS (I) Ltd. (WDWA 06-07 Jury Member): I am glad to be a member of the Jury for the first ever Water Awards in India and I take this opportunity to congratulate Water Digest to initiate the practice of awarding outstanding contributions to the developments in the water sector. All of us know that water is the essence of our lives but technological advancements in this sector have not had their share of appreciation and recognition. These awards have given a platform to the organizations working in the sector to showcase their achievements. I also laud the winners in all the categories and this is just the beginning. In most of the developing countries around the world, agriculture is the main stay of the economy and farmers engaged in low value food crops are the poorest people. The problem of poverty is compounded interalia, by in ad-equate irrigation facilitates, insufficient energy, unscientific agricultural practices, lack of rural sanitation etc. The countries which have made significant expansion of irrigation coverage supported by energy development have made noticeable achievements in reducing the incidence of poverty. Integrated development and management of water resources with due respect to ecological, economic and ethical sustainability requires a holistic approach involving engineering, socio-economic and environmental aspects. All these aspects should be looked at in their totality. Development of hydropower, lowering of groundwater table and devastation faced by people due to floods have to be examined. Similarly, traditional sys-tem of water management through ponds and small tanks should be integrated with canal irrigation. Majority of water resources schemes directly influence the critical needs of the society, namely, food andfiber. This implies that although the governments have to play a major role in water resources development, common people must be involved in water resources development programmes for which awareness about water and water related issues should be created among them. Providing adequate water for irrigation, safe drinking water, flood control, drought management and water for our industries avoiding simultaneously environmental degradation is a challenging task for the future. There is no way to succeed in the task of development and management of water unless people at large participate in the planning and management process at the grass root level. There is a dire need to look at development and management of our water resources at macro level and link the action plan to the beneficiaries at grass root level. I call upon all the stakeholders of the water sector to come together and apply their minds to develop innovative and path breaking technologies to facilitate sustainable socio-economic upliftment of the people |
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 Dr. Sudhirendar Sharma, Director, Ecological Foundation (WDWA06-07 Jury Member): I believe Water Digest Awards have made a good beginning of bring in government, corporations and civil society on a common platform. Being an eternal optimist, I have a feeling that the Awards will help create a forum for divergent interests to share each others' concerns in addressing the core issue of making water potable and within reach of everyone. |
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 Mr. S. Suthakar, Managing Director - Aqua Design India Ltd.: It was indeed a great pleasure attending the Awards ceremony of Water Digest in New Delhi on 13thNovember 2006.The ambience created during the award function was extraordinary and the presence of the Hon’ble Minister for Water Resources was like a Kohinoor diamond in the crown. No other dignitary would have been more apt to be the chief guest as Prof.Saifuddin Soz and his experience cannot be matched. There were two things which touched the core of my heart viz., the simplicity of the Hon’ble Minister and his speech in which he explained the interest taken by people of a remote village in Rajasthan for water conservation. It was a very good piece of message to all Industrialists and hope, the Water Industry under the umbrella of Water Digest will take the lead in future community development activities in remote villages. Water which was abundant a few decades ago is becoming scarce due to over exploitation of the groundwater and lack of awareness on recycling and reuse .Hence we feel that the 5Rs should be the mantra for all Indians which stress the need for reduce, recover, recycle, reuse and recharge. If neglected then the future generations will have all the precious metals and fuels but not potable water. I give the credit to all the team members of the Water Digest for conducting such a good event. It was more of a family get-together (Water Industry Family) than an official function. We wish that many more such occasions should be planned, which also becomes a forum for sharing cost effective new innovations. We from Aqua Designs wish you all the best in your future endeavor's. |
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 Mr. Rajesh Sharma, Managing Director, Ion Exchange (India) Ltd.: At Ion Exchange India, we consider it a privilege to help manage the most precious resource of water, by providing total water management solutions to all sections of society. Ion Exchange India has always been in the forefront of bringing state-of-the-art technology to pro-vide the most suitable and cost-effective solutions to customers. The company has invested heavily in sourcing and developing a diverse range of technologies which enables us to offer total water management solutions - to industry, homes and communities, urban and rural. We believe in giving the most optimum solutions to our customers and are totally committed to customer satisfaction - our 360 degree solutions are backed by total service support and we have the largest service network in the water treatment industry in India. Our vision is "To be the leader in our business which is so vital for people's lives and the environment. |
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| Mr. Arumugam Kalimuthu, Chairperson - WESNet: Water Awards presented by "Water Digest" is an important step towards honoring innovations and good practices from the water sector. This initiative would help in identifying various products and services being developed to effectively address issues around water. Inclusion of awards recognising pioneering works carried out by NGOs in the water sector is note-worthy. I am sure the ‘Water Awards’ will play an important role in identifying and promoting promising innovations in the water sector to enable achievement of the goal of water for all. |
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| Mr. G. S. Ranganathan WDWA06-07 - Life-Time Achievement Winner: As predicted in Rachel Carson's Silent Spring 45 years ago and Limits To Growth by the Club of Rome, the exponential growth of industrialization and urban populations has resulted in the pollution of the whole earth. Since then awareness for the need to control and reduce pollution has increased and led to development of technology and companies specialised in it to provide the necessary services for environmental management. A major role has been of the water treatment industry since water is one of the main conduits for pollution. Ion Exchange India which has pioneered in India most of the new technologies required for water has widened its range to cover environmental management as well. |
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| Mr. Abhimanyu Acharya, Ph.D. Lead Partner - Byrraju Foundation: It is so strange that the most important part of every living things diet is treated with so much of callous indifference especially, when it is available in abundance. Burgeoning populations have emphasized the shortage in the desert region since the demand has exponentially risen but oddly the effect of geometric population growth has adversely affected even the water-rich regions of the country. The Byrraju Foundation, a not-for-profit organization felt that one of the most significant interventions they could make for the region would be to ensure safe drinking water for the unprotected population in the area. The Foundation felt that the immediate need should be to bring down the alarming occurrence of water-borne diseases, caused by the increased microbial load in the water due to the unsanitary conditions prevailing in the area. The challenge was to encourage people to pay for the treated water, because typically people were resistant to the concept of paying for a commodity that they had always obtained free of cost. The task was not simple but over time the population began to see the benefits of healthy drinking water and the sharp drop in ill-nesses caused by water-borne diseases and the consequent drop in the hitherto common loss of wage due to such illnesses. With the people's participation and the effort of the Foundation in guiding the participants, the people of West and East Godavari lead healthier and more productive lives all because of the quality of water they can now expect from their own resources. |
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 Mr. M. J. Joseph, Executive Director - Planet Kerala: The Planet Kerala team along with numerous communities is greatly excited for having received the Best Water NGO for Revival of Rural Water Resources award. 'Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink' still holds true to most of our coastal and shallow water tabled regions in India. Interestingly, dense communities live around these areas with substantial volume of non-utilizable local water resources. Conventional projects solve just drinking water crisis by hauling freshwater from distant upstream rivers and end up in meeting the demand partly. This resulted in artificial rise of water price/subsidized service and brews inter/intra regional water conflicts. he declining water resources issue is never attempted /addressed. Apart from water for domestic use, these communities still need more water for sustaining their livelihood. Again, lack of reliable fresh water resources is the most pertinent threat facing any water supply schemes throughout the country. Hence, regeneration of fresh water resources is a vital element in these areas. The sustainable community practices are achieved by enriching people's art and science of water management through knowledge based participation in local actions. We are very grateful for recognizing our small initiatives in rejuvenating home-stead open wells. We are now marching forward to extend these accessible and affordable innovations to millions of communities with lost open wells in our long coastal line and expect your constant and active support. |
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 Mr. Avinash R. Laddha, Managing Director, Kitec Industries: Water Digest is a very prestigious magazine for water industry in India. Over past few years it has created a niche for itself and the industry has accepted the publication as most informative and offering value to the water industry. This prestigious publication has started appreciating industry efforts by giving awards giving recognition for quality products and services since last three years.
Recognition is always welcome and when it comes from the publication of repute like Water Digest it becomes a great source of encouragement. We all at Kitec were thrilled when we were informed that we have been selected for the “Best Water Supply Engineering -2008-09 ‘Pipes’. In fact this came immediately after KiTEC received 'European Quality Award' in October 2008.
In the construction industry, today in India plumbing is the most neglected aspect mainly because it is concealed. In metropolitan cities one sees flats fitted with costly fixtures but with poor quality plumbing pipes. The fixtures add ornamental value to the property while plumbing gets neglected. I am sure this award will bring in the importance of pipe in water supply.
I sincerely thank the management of Water Digest and the selection committee for considering KITEC pipes for this award. Needless to mention that we have achieved this due to the support we have received from our clients and for the constant feed back that we get from the market for improvement in our products and services. |
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 Mr. J. K. Mehta, GM-WECIMC, NTPC: Water is a global resource for survival on this planet and a vital input for power generation. There is an urgent need to address the issue of efficient water management and NTPC as the largest thermal power generating company of India with current installed capacity of 29,804 MWs, has taken up this challenge at all its plants. Water in a thermal power station is used for cooling purposes and consumption purposes. Consumptive requirements in a power plant are very small however for cooling purposes normally large quantity of water is required. NTPC has implemented efficient and Eco- Friendly Water Management systems which include; closed cycle cooling water system to ensure minimal makeup water, near zero effluent discharge concepts to ensure recycling and reuse of total effluent and closed loop ash water recycling water system. |
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| Mr. Ravindra Sewak, Director Sustainability, Pepsico India Beverages: We at PepsiCo are delighted that our palakkad plant has received UNESCO supported Water Digest Award for corporate Social Responsibility for responsible water practices. Our work is guided by principle of performance with purpose and palakkad plant fully epitomizes this spirit. |
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Mr. S. K. Garg, CMD, NHPC Ltd.: UNESCO WATER AWARDS” is a tribute to the organizational endeavors upholding the cause of conservation and efficient use of water which is a precious natural resource. It is a unique means of recognizing the efforts at organizational as well as individual levels towards achieving excellence in this important area which holds the key to existence of civilization from times immemorial.
With the conferring of "UNESCO WATER AWARDS" to NHPC for the second consecutive year, NHPC-ians feel proud & delighted and are grateful to the organizers for recognizing the concerted efforts of NHPC in efficient utilization of water resource while harnessing the hydropower potential in the country. This recognition would go a long way in strengthening the commitment towards sustainable development of water resources in a environmentally conscious & socially responsible manner. |
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 Mr. S. L. Goklaney, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Eureka Forbes Ltd.: Providing pure and safe drinking water to every Indian is the vision of Eureka Forbes. Building sustainable relationships with consumers, being their friend for life by satisfying their evolving health, hygiene, safety and lifestyle needs is what Eureka Forbes is about. The trust over 4 million families makes Aquaguard a household name today. The recognition of Water Digest for the Best RO Purifier & complete Domestic Solution Provider adds to the trust of the millions of mothers in Aqua guard. |
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Mr. Marzin R Shroff, CEO Direct Sales & Sr. Vice President Marketing, Eureka Forbes Ltd.: I would like to thank our consumers and our Euro champs on being recognized by Water Digest. A neutral platform for researchers, manufacturers or policy- makers. Water Digest is doing a terrific job in getting the community together. Kundos!!
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 Mr. R. K. Srivastava, Managing Director - Kirloskar Brothers:
I think the lot of awareness is required, once we do the awareness the students will be interested in Water as a career. |
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 Mr. Rajat Jay Sehgal, Executive Director, S. M. Sehgal Foundation: Water is the engine which drives all other activities. This precious resource has to be nurtured to make sure it is not lost over generations. S M Sehgal foundation has been instrumental in receiving rural water resources in saline areas. The Sehgal Foundation is working on prevalence, consequences and solutions to create fresh ground water within saline ground water pockets.
This award helped us in showcasing the problems of Mewat at a national forum which help incorporate the learning and experiences of other organizations thereby making the interventions more effective. We hope that such recognition would go a long way in highlighting our work and portray how small interventions in such demographics can lead to big impacts. Thank you once again for rendering faith in us and our work. We would continue to work with commitment and passion in our endeavour towards making a positive difference in the lives of rural people of Mewat. I dedicate this award to the entire team of the foundation, the villages and others who are working together to empower rural India. |
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Mr. S. Narayan, Managing Director Enviro Pure Aqua: Thanks to the Water Digest for exposing us to the community by facilitating us with the award 'UPCOMUNG WATER COMPANY 2008-09'. Through this, one more tool is added to our existing tools for marketing. Further it was great pleasure and honour to receive the award in front of the stalwarts of the field like Ion Exchange, Eureka Forbes, Aqua Designs etc., Our responsibilities and commitments to perform still better has increased in folds after receiving the Water award. We once again congratulate and thank Water Digest for organizing such a wonderful event and bringing in icons in the field as Chief Guests, Juries and participants on to a single stage. Wishing them all best of luck and would like to take this opportunity to convey our wishes for a ‘HAPPY AND JOYOUS NEW YEAR-2009.
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| Mr. Amarnath Rao, Byrraju Foundation: At the outset, Byrraju Foundation is very happy to get the award for ‘Best Water NGO’ (Water Supply) in India for the year 2008-09 by Water Digest and UNESCO. We feel great to have got this award thrice in a row. We rededicate ourselves to the cause of health of the rural poor by providing them with a sustainable model of safe drinking water. For us, providing safe drinking water to the rural poor in the 200 adapted village through its 58 plants is a very important factor as this also happens to be dream and vision of our Beloved Chairman, Sri Ramalinga Raju and his family to provide Holistic and Sustainable Rural Transformation. The entire Family of Byrraju Foundation is thankful to all concerned in selecting us for this prestigious award. |
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 Dr. Bhanu Neupane, Regional Hydrologist/ Programme Specialist UNESCO: There are two or three things I would like to highlight. Firstly that water is everybody’s business & unless you tag everybody along with, you will definitely not achieve goals that you have aspired for. We are associated with Water Digest not because we have a compulsion but it’s because we basically have to work together and unless we don’t do that goals can never be achieved. Media is one of the powerful partners along with industry people, government and us as well. So I see this forth round approach where four partners contribute equally and drive the whole process.
It's the only Award function that exists in India which brings together Govt., UN Agencies, industrial partners as well as NGO's and Individuals. This is one of the reason for UNESCO who decided to support it. Secondly, this is a very noble goal and a noble goal requires to be supported. In the past three year, the award has grown in significant manner. People infact have started realizing to work towards achieving the award. |
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 Dr. A. K. Mittal, Editor Water Digest & Associate Professor, IIT New Delhi: As we say life is water the same way for global water sector, Indian water sector is the lifeline. Now days we talk about carbon credits, why not about water credits which will encourage reuse of water and recycle of the water on their own. We all speak about social responsibility etc so why don’t we have water responsibility. The municipalities the Govt. the corporate should also think of water as a responsibility which will include how they will save water, reuse the sewage and wastewater and save precious water for the people. For example Delhi is a water stress place. If all the corporate and others share the water responsibility along with social and environmental responsibility it could be in a big way provide probably more water. |
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