Jodhpur to Become India’s Model City for Treated Wastewater Reuse with Israeli Collaboration

Jaipur, Oct 2025 : With the support of Israel, Jodhpur is set to become a model city in India for the efficient reuse of treated wastewater, marking a major step toward sustainable water management.

Ms. Noa Amsalem, Water Attaché at the Embassy of Israel in India, visited Jodhpur on Thursday to discuss a collaborative project focused on the accurate and sustainable agricultural reuse of treated wastewater from the Salawas Sewage Treatment Plant (STP).

During the visit, Jodhpur Municipal Corporation Commissioner Shri Siddharth Palanichamy chaired a review meeting attended by officials from the Jodhpur Development Authority, Municipal Corporation, RIICO, Agriculture and Water Resources Departments, representatives from the Embassy of Israel, and partner organization Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).

Mr. Neeraj Gehlawat, Senior Water Specialist at the Israeli Embassy, joined the meeting virtually and shared Israel’s experience and technical expertise in wastewater reuse.

Commissioner Palanichamy thanked the Israeli team for their technical cooperation and stated that the Jodhpur Municipal Corporation is committed to becoming a national leader in the field of treated wastewater reuse and sustainable water resource management.

Following the meeting, the delegation visited the Salawas STP, where Ms. Kamini Songra, Regional Officer of the Rajasthan Pollution Control Board, and Mr. Pawan Kumar explained the plant’s functioning and detailed the quality of treated water.

Ms. Noa Amsalem expressed satisfaction with the water quality, stating that it is comparable to Israel’s own standards. She added that if direct reuse infrastructure is developed, approximately 2,500 hectares of agricultural land could be irrigated using this high-quality treated water.

It is noteworthy that Israel treats over 90% of its wastewater, reusing most of it for agricultural irrigation, making it one of the world’s most efficient and sustainable water management models.

The collaboration between the Israeli Embassy, Jodhpur Municipal Corporation, and CEEW represents an important step toward innovative, resource-efficient, and sustainable water management in India. This initiative will also serve as a demonstration project for other Indian cities seeking to promote the use of treated wastewater for agricultural and non-potable purposes.

During the visit, Ms. Kamini Songra accompanied Ms. Noa Amsalem throughout the proceedings.