Union Minister of Jal Sakthi inaugurates Centre for Sustainable Drinking Water, Phygital Craft Museum and Craft Exhibition at IIT Jodhpur organized in collaboration with JCKIF

JODHPUR: Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur and the Jodhpur City Knowledge and Innovation Foundation (JCKIF) are collaboratively organizing UDBHAAS from 24^th to 26^th September 2022. The event is being hosted by the institute on its campus. Hon’ble Union Minister of Jal Sakthi, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has graced the event as the chief guest of the inaugural program, today, 24^th September 2022.

Shri Shekhawat has inaugurated the following during the event:

• Centre for Sustainable Drinking Water
• DHAROHAR – the Phygital Craft Museum
• Craft Exhibition and Sale

Addressing the residents of Jodhpur, Hon’ble Union Minister of Jal Sakthi, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, said, “I would like to start with appreciating IIT Jodhpur for conceptualizing and organising the multisectoral program UDBHAAS – JAL AUR JEEVAN. IITs continue playing an important role in the overall development of the country, in different domains and in different aspects of life. An approach of critical, analytical and innovative thinking is very important to lead a progressive path. The cross-sectoral approach of bringing together the academia, policymakers and governing bodies of IIT Jodhpur to provide innovative solutions for social concerns such as desalination of drinking water is very commendable.”

Further the Hon’ble Chief Guest said, “ Western Rajasthan has the potential to become a growth engine for India’s economy. It has among the highest land-to-man ratio, highest energy generation capacity, industry investment capability, raw material and labour availability. I am happy that IIT Jodhpur is taking its valuable steps towards achieving this goal by establishing the Centre for Sustainable Drinking Water.”

“We are fortunate enough to witness and be a part of progressive India. It is our responsibility to make sure we work toward making our country a global leader for future generations”, added Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in his concluding remarks.

Highlighting the event, Prof. Santanu Chaudhury, Director, IIT Jodhpur and Chairman, Board of Directors, JCKIF, said, “IIT Jodhpur and JCKIF is committed to work for integrated, inclusive and sustainable development of Jodhpur. JCKIF is a major component of the innovation system at IIT Jodhpur. It aims to be a catalytic agent for Knowledge and innovation driven inclusive and Sustainable growth of Jodhpur and its adjoining areas. With this, we are setting up a Centre for Sustainability of Drinking Water supported by Jal Jeevan Mission to provide innovative support to address the core problem of drinking water at Jodhpur.”

“Along with this, IIT Jodhpur is also working on developing a digital archive for preserving the craft forms and knowledge of Jodhpur by using its technological and managerial interventions. From Developing Artisan focused business models to developing cutting edge technology to enable consumer emersion and related commerce, are some of the initiatives on the same,” added Prof. Chaudhury during his address.

Rajasthan lacks surface water and a weak monsoon creates water scarcity during the summers every year. Water quality is a major issue in many places such as contamination due to suspended solids, turbidity, micro-organisms, fluoride, salinity etc. particularly in rural and remote areas.

Centre for Sustainable Drinking Water with the focus area of sustainability in drinking water sources is one of the five centres supported by Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS) Ministry of Jal Shakti. The mandate of the centre is capacity building, outreach, research and education (CORE).

During UDBHAAS, Project Craft, a vertical dedicated to protection, preservation and promotion of indigenous craft and craftsmen is organising the following to spur innovation, entrepreneurship and livelihood incubation in the area of Craft:

• Talk series SANGAM – Confluence of Design, Craft and Business, by leading designers of the country engaged in creating sustainable livelihoods by bringing together design and craft. It includes talks by Sibanand Bhol, Satyajit Vetoskar, Jhumkee Iyengar, Anupam Chakraborty, Kirti Goel and Megha Das. These speakers created new products at the intersection of contemporary aesthetics, consumer tastes, processes and materials inherited from the craft tradition.
• A hackathon competition wherein students of IIT Jodhpur, NIFT Jodhpur and FDDI Jodhpur will collaborate and compete to propose design interventions and related innovative products for the contemporary consumer. The student teams will be mentored by the invited design experts.

There will be illustrations of systems for using digital technology towards making craft more accessible, for evocatively highlighting the daily practice of craftsmen, and ensuring that the long-term interests of craft clusters are meaningfully addressed. Over 40 artisan groups of Jodhpur city and surroundings will be displaying their products in the craft mela. All through UDBHAAS, the Exhibition cum Sale of Craft items will continue at Jodhpur club in IIT Jodhpur campus. Citizens of Jodhpur are welcome to this exhibition cum sale.