The initiative is being worked out with IIT-Kharagpur alumnus Professor Asit Kumar Biswas, head of Third World Centre for Water Management, Mexico, and an international consultant on water resources and environmental management.

Biswas, who graduated from the institute in 1960, was today awarded the Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) by the institute.

Institute director Damodar Acharya has invited Biswas to visit Kharagpur to chalk out a water management strategy. The professor is expected to be in the institute on December 28.

“At IIT Kharagpur, we can come up with development models for better water management. We can work on making tap water fit for drinking. Incentives for water conservation can be worked out in context with the Indian scenario. This model can easily be implemented in towns and cities,” said Biswas.

There is also scope for rainwater harvesting. In the present system, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation supplies water for two to three hours. This water is stored in the underground tank and then pumped up with the help of electricity, which involves huge expenses, said Professor Biswas, adding almost half the supplied water is wasted because of leaking taps and broken pipes.