NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh will be Israel‘s first major partner among Indian states to jointly work on water Utility reforms, covering all aspects, including drinking water supply, in both rural and urban areas, efficiency and conservation.

This will be done as part of a MoU, between the UP Jal Nigam and Israel’s ministry of national infrastructure, energy and water resources, during PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel early this month.

As per the modalities, being worked out at the water resources ministry to carry on works within the MoU, the state will have a joint team of UP Jal Nigam, Central Water Commission, Central Ground Water Board and National Mission for Clean Ganga to identify the challenges and look for solutions in a timebound manner.

“Israeli authorities will then take up the problem areas to find solutions. In fact, UP will be a kind of test case for this India-Israel cooperation. If it succeeds in UP, it can well be replicated elsewhere,” said an official.

Be it providing safe water supply to people across the state, following zero liquid discharge policy as far as sewage/effluent is concerned for tackling Ganga pollution, using recycled water in agriculture and conserving resources in the water-starved region of Bundelkhand, the agencies of both countries will work to find out statespecific solution.

“Though Israeli experts had worked in other states, including Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, in the field of water use efficiency and desalination, the UP will be the first state where the country will work on multiple issues simultaneously as part of overall water utility reform,” said the official.

The MoU was the culmination of talks held between state CM Yogi Adityanath and Israel’s ambassador to India Daniel Carmon in Lucknow in May.