Context: Recently, India and Denmark collaborated to create a 'smart laboratory on clean rivers' in Varanasi, aimed at rejuvenating the Varuna river within 2-3 years. 

• This tripartite initiative involving the Indian government, IIT-BHU, and Denmark focuses on sustainable river management, with an initial funding of Rs 21.8 crore.

About Smart Laboratory on Clean Rivers (SLCR)

• It is a unique tripartite initiative between Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, IIT- Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU), and Government of Denmark.

• The SLCR aims to leverage the expertise of both nations to rejuvenate the river Varuna using sustainable approaches.

• Its objectives include creating a collaborative platform for government bodies, knowledge institutions and local communities to share insights and develop solutions for clean river water.

• The initiative features a hybrid lab model at the IIT-BHU and an on-field living lab at the Varuna River to test and scale solutions in real-world settings.

• The Indo-Danish Joint Steering Committee (JSC) is the highest forum for SLCR which provides strategic guidance and reviews progress.

• The Project Review Committee (PRC), with members from National Mission on Clean Ganga (NMCG), Central Water Commission (CWC), Central Ground Water Borad (CGWB), IIT-BHU, will oversee quality control at project level.

• The Multi-Stakeholder Working Group (MSWG), chaired by the District Magistrate and co-chaired by NMCG and IIT-BHU, will coordinate efforts among central and state agencies.

• The Secretariat, established between NMCG and IIT-BHU, will manage day-to-day activities, project development, and knowledge dissemination.

• The SLCR Secretariat will receive initial funding of Rs. 16.80 crore from Jal Shakti and 5 crore INR grant from Denmark to support long-term sustainability and project development.

• The Joint Steering Committee (JSC) chaired jointly by Director General (NMCG), First Secretary and Team Lead for Strategic Cooperation cleared four projects.

• A Decision Support System (DSS) for water management would analyze basin water dynamics through hydrological models, scenario generation, forecasting and data analytics.

• It will integrate groundwater and hydrological models to create a comprehensive river management plan, with real-time monitoring, data visualization tools and scenario simulations.

• The second project focuses on the characterization of emerging pollutants and fingerprint analysis.

• This initiative will use advanced analytical techniques, such as chromatography and mass spectrometry, to identify and quantify contaminants.

• The project aims to create a detailed fingerprint library, enhance water quality monitoring, and propose effective remediation strategies.

• The final project- Hydrogeological Model of the Varuna Basin for Recharge Sites, aims to enhance base flow through Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR).

• It will use advanced geophysical techniques and mathematical modelling to identify optimal recharge sites and rates.

• Objectives include integrating Heliborne and FloaTEM data, generating scenarios for water harvesting impacts and developing a comprehensive river-aquifer flow dynamics model.