Jain Irrigation Systems of India and Mekorot, the national water company of Israel, today signed an MOU to work together on water projects in India.

The two companies say they plan to explore projects in desalination, water resource management, water supply, municipal water management and/or wastewater treatment and reclamation projects.

Growing urban populations in India have made existing capacities of water treatment, waste water treatment and recycling inadequate. The country has introduced more stringent pollution control, which is rendering many existing technologies obsolete.

The Indian government's Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) seeks to promote 24x7 potable water, which is virtually non-existent in India, as well as water recycling of at least 25 percent for non-domestic uses such as construction, cooling towers, gardening and toilet flushing.

JNNURM is willing to provide 100 percent of necessary funds as grants for many of these projects.

Mekorot is a leader in water resources management, desalination, wastewater treatment and effluent reuse, rain enhancement, water quality, water security and water project engineering.

It supplies 80 percent of Israel's drinking water and 70 percent of its entire water supply, operating 3,000 installations across the country.

Jain Irrigation has been involved in water distribution and water conservation in India for three decades. The company's customers include water utility boards, municipal corporations, contractors as well as farmers across India.

The company pioneered drip irrigation for small farmers in India, employs more than 6,000 people and has been named one of the eight Indian companies expected to emerge as challengers in its field to the world’s leading companies by Standard and Poor in May 2007.