With the renewed focus of India towards ensuring water for all and the unprecedented civilizational leap that is underway to ensure sanitation across the nation via building toilets, sewage treatment plants (STP), fecal sludge treatment plants (FSTP) and cleaning up rivers, IWA decided to expand its operations in India.

A first contact meeting which happened in Chennai on 5th June of 2018, was conducted with the able support of Tamil Nadu Water Investment Corporation (TWIC) and IIT Madras which saw participation from Government of Tamil Nadu, Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board in addition to participation from L&T, Va Tech Wabag, Ramky Enviro and Researchers from Anna University, IIT Madras, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, NIT Trichy, Madras Institute of Development Studies and other Centres of Excellence and Institutes of repute.

The One day Symposium and General Body Meeting of the IWA India Chapter that is organized in Crowne Plaza Chennai Adyar Park on 23rd of October, 2018 is aimed towards firmly establishing IWA in India, fully focused on serving our fast growing membership. As mentioned in the IWA Strategic Plan 2019-2024, our mission is to be a catalyst of innovation, knowledge, best water practices and a provider of leadership opportunities’ to our members. This meeting in Chennai will provide an opportunity for us to bring our members together to discuss our common objectives for IWA in the region. We will also use this occasion to start establishing the Executive Committee of the IWA India Office.

The objectives of this meeting are:

1. Discuss how IWA members can benefit from being part of the Association (events, specialist groups, publishing editorial groups, Young Water Professionals, etc)
2. Brainstorm about the objectives for IWA in India
3. Define the IWA structure in India

The meeting will start by 10:00 am and will proceed until 5:00 pm. The seven sessions would address the questions of the benefits for IWA members via membership, the activities planned for IWA in India via various structures of IWA like Specialist Groups, Young Water Professionals initiative, IWA Publishing, the upcoming events of IWA in South and Southeast Asia, the possibilities to engage with IWA Publishing via submissions, reviewing and assuming leadership roles in Editorial boards of Journals, the scope for working practitioners to engage with their fellow practitioners across the globe via Young Water Professionals (YWP) program in addition to the General Body Meeting of IWA members in India.

This General Body Meeting would involve brief discussion about the administrative structures of IWA Chapters in other countries and definition of IWA Chapter in India, keeping in minds its vast geographical expanse and hubs of activities in relation to Water and Sanitation. Following the ceremony to confer the nominated members of the Indian IWA Chapter with official designations who would form the Executive body, key discussions with regards to the operations of IWA in India would be conducted wherein the means to achieve the stated objectives of the operations in next 2 years would be deliberated and defined.  With the pronouncement and discussion over the 24 months plan for Indian Chapter, the One day Symposium and General Body Meeting would be closed.

This session would be followed by a closed door meeting of the nominated Executive Body members whose details would be communicated to the Indian members of IWA.

For more information please contact: Charles.Joseph@iwahq.org