ISRO, Jal Shakti Ministry join hands to boost satellite-based water management

The Ministry of Jal Shakti and space agency ISRO on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen the use of satellite technology and space-based applications for water resource management in the country. The agreement was signed during a national workshop on research and development (R&D) in the water sector organised by the Ministry of Jal Shakti at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre here. Under the MoU, the department of water resources and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will jointly work in 24 key research areas, including reservoir monitoring, water-spread assessment, river-flow analysis, satellite-based water quality assessment and studies on macroplastic distribution in water bodies.

Addressing the workshop, Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil said water security is critical for achieving the goal of "Viksit Bharat" by 2047 and that water-related challenges must be addressed through technology, innovation, traditional knowledge and public participation. "Water security is a critical foundation for achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. Solutions to water-related challenges must be driven by technology, innovation, traditional knowledge and people's participation," Patil said. The minister said the ministry had supported several research studies in the past decade, including 113 directly sponsored projects, which helped develop practical solutions in the water sector. Patil also launched the third phase of the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) campaign and announced a target of creating two crore water conservation structures between June 2026 and May 2027. He said the previous phase had crossed 1.5 crore structures. The workshop also saw the launch of the mission for advancement in high impact areas (MAHA)-Water programme, a joint initiative of the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), and an open call for startups and MSMEs under the Bharat Water Innovation Network (Bharat WIN) platform.

ISRO chairman and department of space secretary V Narayanan said the agreement will deepen collaboration between the two organisations and strengthen the use of satellite-based applications for water management. "Space technology today offers unprecedented capacity for observing, assessing, forecasting and managing water resources," Narayanan said. He said the partnership will support work in areas such as groundwater assessment, water resource monitoring and flood forecasting, adding that cooperation between ISRO and the water resources sector dates back to 1982. ANRF chief executive officer Shivkumar Kalyanaraman said the MAHA-Water programme will support multi-institutional projects involving academic institutions, laboratories, startups and industry partners.