Water informatics centre in Nashik

Nashik: A state-level water informatics centre is set to be established within the hydrology department at the Maharashtra Engineering and Research Institute (MERI) campus, with construction scheduled to begin this April. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the initiative, noting that the State Water Informatics Centre (SWIC) is modelled after the National Water Informatics Centre. "All data regarding water sources and consumption — across both rural and urban sectors — will be integrated into a single platform," Fadnavis said. "This centralised system will empower the state govt to ensure water availability for every consumer by 2047." AK Desai, chief engineer of the hydrology department at MERI, said the centre will standardise and aggregate data from water resources department, the Groundwater Survey and Development Agency (GSDA), the water conservation department, and the agriculture department. It will also track rainfall, data from Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran, and consumption rates from industries, village councils, and municipal corporations. The platform is designed to be a "single-window source" for the state's water resources, organised valley-wise.