U.K. varsity leads E.U.-India body on safe drinking water

London, November 13 (PTI) The Queen’s University Belfast
(Q.U.B.) is leading a European Union-India consortium that has
developed the world’s first low-cost technology to provide
arsenic-free drinking water to people in India.

The technology is expected to provide safe drinking water
to over 70 million people in India and neighbouring countries,
university sources said.

Researchers from Q.U.B. are scheduled to visit India this
week to officially open the Eastern India Water Research
Institute (E.I.W.R.I.) in Kolkata.

E.I.W.R.I. will be located at Bengal Engineering and
Science University (B.E.S.U.) and include a second Indian
partner, the Institute of Environmental Management and
Studies.

Work on the collaboration with the Bengal Engineering and
Science University (B.E.S.U.), Kolkata has been going on for
two years and it is hoped that the technology will benefit
other regions of the world with similar problems.

Recognising the work of Queen’s in this area, the British
Council will also announce the university’s selection as a
provider of training to improve management of groundwater in
regions of eastern India affected by the content of arsenic.

The opening of the new institute forms part of a ten-day
visit to India by a Q.U.B. delegation, led by its
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Gregson. The visit will focus
on building key research and teaching partnerships in Kolkata
and New Delhi.

In Kolkata, Q.U.B. will announce the expansion of its
India Welcome Scheme for Indian students pursuing their
postgraduate studies. Designed to develop science and
technology leaders of the future, 30 scholarships will be
awarded to encourage talented Indian students to come to
Q.U.B.

Q.U.B. will also announce the establishment of its new
Centre for Contemporary Indian Studies on its Belfast campus,
during a meeting with Karan Singh, President of the Indian
Council for Cultural Relations (I.C.C.R.).

The Centre will house the single largest private
collection of books and monographs on India, namely the Bill
Kirk India Collection, which has been endowed to the
University by the Kirk family.

Professor Gregson will also meet India’s industry
confederations and the Indian Chamber of Commerce and focus on
trade collaborations between companies in Northern Ireland and
India.

Gregson said: "International cooperation in research and
education is vital for the joint economic futures of Northern
Ireland and India. The opening of the Water Research Institute
in Kolkata is a clear demonstration of the benefits of such
cooperation and one that will benefit people around the globe.

"Queen’s values its relationship with India and we are
delighted to announce the establishment of our new Centre for
Contemporary Indian Studies which will further strengthen the
links between the two countries", he said. PTI CORR
AM