Mangaluru: The National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal, successfully conducted a one-day workshop on Krishna River Basin Management Studies on Monday, aiming to foster interdisciplinary collaboration on sustainable water governance.
The workshop was organised under the guidance of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, through the National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD) and the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG). The event was spearheaded by the Centre for Krishna River Basin Management Studies (cKrishna), housed at NITK Surathkal.
The programme brought together over 50 participants, including researchers, government officials, postgraduate students, PhD scholars, and key stakeholders engaged in river basin conservation. Discussions focused on diverse topics such as hydrology, water quality, land use, ecology, geomorphology, socio-economic factors, and public engagement.
Interactive sessions and technical forums facilitated the sharing of data-driven strategies, including GIS-based mapping, and ecological modelling techniques, to assess and enhance the river’s health and resilience.
The establishment of cKrishna stems from a tripartite agreement between the Ministry of Jal Shakti, IIT Kanpur, and a consortium comprising NIT Warangal and NITK Surathkal. The Centre is implementing the Conditional Assessment and Management Plan for Krishna River (CAMP), with a long-term goal to craft an integrated and adaptive basin-wide plan.
Led by Prof. Basavaraju Manu, HoD of Civil Engineering, the initiative is supported by advisory committee members S Shrihari, GS Dwarakish, and Lakshman Nandagiri, along with co-investigators and research staff.