Indo-Dutch cooperation: 2nd phase of LOTUSHR proj launched in presence of King and Queen

The second phase of an Indo-Dutch project that seeks to treat dirty water of Barapullah Drain before it deposits into Yamuna was launched here on Monday in the presence of Netherlands King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima.

The Royal couple, who arrived in Delhi on Sunday, visited the water treatment laboratory in the afternoon and also interacted with some of the researchers working on the project.

King Willem-Alexander on his first state visit to India, following his ascension to the throne in 2013, had described the project as "wonderful" and a "great cooperation".

The Local Treatment of Urban Sewage Streams for Healthy Reuse (LOTUSHR) project was set up in 2017 at the Sun Dial Park here as part of a collaboration between the governments of India and the Netherlands.

"The project is a partnership between the Department of Biotechnology (Ministry of Science and Technology) and its counterpart in the Netherlands. And, today we are blessed to have the Dutch Royal couple present here during the launch of the second phase," Union minister Harsh Vardhan said.

Vardhan, who holds the portfolio of science and technology, told reporters that in the second phase, "the plan is to scale up water treatment capacity from 100 l/day to 10,000 l/day".

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima are visiting India at the invitation of President Ram Nath Kovind, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The King and Queen will visit Delhi, Mumbai, and Kerala during their five-day state visit.