Tamil Nadu, UK form partnership to aim for sustainable water, waste and resource management through smart tech project

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Chennai: The UK and Tamil Nadu are collaborating on a smart tech project aimed at sustainable water, waste, and resource management. According to a press release, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the UK’s Minister of State in the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), inaugurated the smart technology initiative alongside Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, Tamil Nadu’s Information Technology Minister, recently.

The project, named ‘Smart district administration using IoT technologies for better quality of life,’ was chosen as part of the Frontier Technology Livestreaming (FTL) program, the release said. The UK-supported ‘Smart district’ project has a goal of tackling global sustainability challenges by deploying sensors throughout the district.

These sensors collect real-time data on water and waste management, as well as environmental quality. By analysing data patterns, the sensors will promote well-informed decision-making for more efficient resource allocation. Notably, the release said this project is India’s only representation among the 58 pilots conducted across 32 countries since 2016.

Minister Trevelyan, during her visit to Chennai, explored India’s deep-sea programs at the National Institute of Ocean Technology, an autonomous body led by the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences in Chennai. She also engaged in discussions about climate initiatives with Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary to the Government, Department of Environment, Climate Change, and Forests.

The UK Minister expressed her resolve to strengthen bilateral ties between the UK and India through enhanced environmental cooperation and the exploration of state-of-the-art technologies, specifically in the realm of climate innovation. This initiative builds upon the fruitful launch of significant projects during the G20 Environment and Climate ministerial meeting in July 2023.