AB InBev, WaterAid India launch TS water consortium to improve water access, security

Hyderabad: AB InBev, a brewing company, in collaboration with WaterAid India has formed a consortium that will work towards water conservation in Telangana. The consortium brings together multiple stakeholders and officials from government organisations, non-profit sector players, research institutions, water sector experts, and corporates who will share their expertise and evidence-based solutions on the issue of clean water and recharge.

A launch event was organised in Hyderabad to kick-start the consortium. V. Prakash Rao, the chairman of Telangana State Water Resources Development Corporation was the guest of honour. Mr. Rao said, "The Telangana government is focused on water conservation and efficient use of water. It is a great opportunity to assemble like-minded entities and people to work together."

The primary focus of the consortium is to develop a comprehensive toolkit to overcome water-linked challenges for large-scale adoption of water conservation in Telangana. It will work on water stewardship, management and conservation by developing an interactive platform where key learnings and experiences will be shared for current and future programmes for the state.

The consortium will conduct skill-sharing and technical workshops on water conservation to highlight solutions, technologies, and innovations for stakeholders to replicate. It will also support other like-minded organisations in planning and implementing their water programs through smaller partnerships. The stakeholders will regularly discuss key water issues, look for solutions, and plan the way for the state.

Commenting on the launch of this water consortium for Telangana, Ashwin Kak, the head of procurement and sustainability (India and south east Asia), AB InBev, said, "We are delighted to build partnerships in Telangana to help address water accessibility in the state. Water is a key natural resource, and we remain committed to optimising natural resources for a better future. Through this consortium, we will curate solutions to address the water challenges for our communities." Under the consortium, big and small businesses will focus on optimising water usage and designing campaigns on water conservation, while the researchers and scholars will aim at promoting water research. On the other hand, farmers will focus on using water-efficient technologies while the government institutions will emphasise future planning and knowledge sharing, AB InBev said.

Rajesh Rangarajan, the state programme director of WaterAid, said, "Water conservation requires collective and collaborative action from stakeholders like businesses, technology companies, social impact start-ups, changemakers in civil society, and the government. This led us to form a consortium so that we could collectively frame problems and develop solutions. We are now aiming to bring long-term change while responding to the crises in the water sector." The consortium has also developed a "Charter" with a key set of roles and future course of action. It is aimed at achieving excellence in the formulation and implementation of programmes and activities in the field of water conservation and management.

Representatives from various NGOs, including Let's Endorse, Hyderabad Urban Lab, Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, and members from the academia like TISS, JNTU, the think tank India Water Stewardship Network and the groundwater government department attended the launch event.