VIJAYAWADA: Beginning the exercise of setting up desalination plants to overcome the drinking water shortage in the State, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday met representatives of IDE Technologies, an Israeli water desalination company. Jagan told the delegation to conduct a feasibility study for setting up desalination plants and submit a report to the government. He also wanted them to submit the details of the technology, maintenance and expenditure of desalination plants.
During the meeting with IDE Technologies Deputy CEO Lizi Torenstine and other officials, the Chief Minister urged them to set up desalination plants in Visakhapatnam first and cover the other coastal areas later. Vizag Steel Plant can use desalinated water. An action plan should be prepared to ensure that all thermal power plants use desalinated water, he said.
The Israeli company officials were all praise for the Chief Minister for making efforts to solve drinking water shortage in the State and said Israel started a commercial desalination plant in 1964 and that the services of IDE Technologies are being utilised by 40 countries across the world. “The company is maintaining over 400 plants. Desalination plants will ensure industrial development and generate employment and income,” they said.