First India Water Week begins soon: 'Take-aways' to decide stickiness

The Indian Government has finally decided to hold an annual jamboree around water. Beginning this year, the India Water Week proposes to be India's showcase event to the global water community -- exhibiting India's latest technology; project capabilities on the consultancy front; construction and manufacturing prowess et al.

Also on the agenda during the Week would be a platform for exchange of ideas on policy and technology in the water sector, which is now being recognised to be critical to India's continuing economic and social growth.

The theme for the first Week is apt - “Water, Energy and Food Security call for Solution”. Policy intervention as well as increased investment is the need of the hour in all the three component sectors of the theme.

It is time that India held such a show. The highly successful Singapore International Water Week and the Stockholm Water Week are two such events that the host Governments have been promoting for several years now. And, both events have constantly brought global experts, professionals, policymakers, ministers and top government officials and honchos from the private sector together at a single platform.

Hopefully, India Water Week will become one such mega event that the global water community will find difficult to miss. Much would, however, depend on how the event unfolds and what the "take-aways" are.

India Water Week (IWW - 2012) will be held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi during April 10–14.