Denmark ready to share knowledge in reducing the waste of water

FROM pepper and cardamom trading to letting people unwind their weekend at Danish Tavern on the banks of Ganga at Serampore and from The Danish East India Company in 1616 to a holistic green strategic partnership- however long haul it may sound, the current dispensation in Denmark is making it look so easy. At least Freddy Svane, Danish Ambassador to India is quite confident that Denmark and India will jointly be at the forefront in the global fight against climate change, contributing significantly to implementation of the Paris Agreement. Denmark will offer more sustainable solutions than one to India as part of a far reaching Green Strategic Partnership.

"Both the countries have set ambitious targets on climate and energy that will contribute significantly to implementation of the Paris Agreement. Together, the two countries will show the world that meeting ambitious climate and sustainable energy goals under UN Sustainable Development Goals is possible," said Svane. While doing this, the key focus areas would be clean and green energy, particularly wind energy (where Denmark has great expertise), clean water consumption, climate resilience of physical infrastructure and green or eco-tourism, he said.

With this in view, the Denmark government will soon rope in a special financial advisor at its embassy in Delhi to ensure higher and smoother inflow of fresh funds in these areas. The Danish government is keen on working closely not only with the government and government agencies but also with private players and most importantly with start-ups with decent track record of working in these fields, the Danish Ambassador said. "For instance, only 4 per cent of the water that is pushed into the distribution network in Denmark is unaccounted for because of leaks and other factors, while in most Indian cities it is nearly 50 per cent. Our efforts would be to reduce the volume of unaccounted water. This is one area, we are extremely keen on working with Indian cities and civic authorities. We are ready to share our knowledge in reducing the waste of water," said Svane.

Meanwhile, Smita Bajoria, the honorary consul general of Denmark in Kolkata, who was conferred the Order of Danneborg (Knighthood), said that the Danish authorities would be keen on joining hands with local agencies and government bodies, if they come up with some interesting and ambitious heritage restoration project with a tenor of eco-tourism. She had been instrumental in kicking off The Serampore Initiative of the National Museum of Denmark in 2008 with the aim of identifying remains of Indo-Danish history in Serampore and restoration of selected buildings from this period. As part of the Serampore Initiative, the Governor's House, St Olav's Church and Serampore College were also restored. The Danish Tavern

, overlooking the Ganga at Serampore has already become a weekend hotspot. "We would certainly like to replicate this model and take up such projects if some local agencies come forward," said Bajoria.