Govt approves renaming of national institute on water after SP Mookerjee

The National Centre for Drinking Water, Sanitation and Quality in Kolkata has been renamed as Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institution of Water and Sanitation, the government announced on Wednesday.

The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave ex-post facto approval to the proposal to rename the institute set up on 8.72 acres of land in Joka, Diamond Harbour Road, Kolkata.

The prime minister inaugurated the institute last month.

It is envisaged as a premier institute to develop capacities in states and Union territories in the field of public health engineering, drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene through training programmes.

Such capacities are envisaged for not only the frontline workforce engaged in implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission and the Jal Jeevan Mission, but also for the representatives of local bodies, both rural and urban, an official statement said.

Accordingly, suitable infrastructure has been developed, including training infrastructure, research and development block, and a residential complex.

Working and miniature models of Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) technologies are also installed to facilitate the training at the institute.

Mookerjee, the Jana Sangh founder, was a front-runner in national integration, inspiration for industrialisation, an eminent scholar and the youngest vice chancellor of the University of Calcutta.