Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa government and the government of Portugal on Saturday inked an important collaboration through a work contract for assessment of Salaulim and Opa water treatment plants and to undertake a study for removal of manganese from the reservoirs.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) and Estaleiros Navis De Peniche Portugal in the field of design, construction and supply of ships in Africa and Latin American countries.
A series of MoUs were signed and exchanged in the presence of Portugal President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who arrived in Goa for a two-day visit on Saturday evening. Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar were also present on the occasion.
The President, who is on tour to India, was welcomed by Protocol Minister Mauvin Godinho at the airport. Goa Governor Satya Pal Malik hosted a dinner for the President and his associates.
The MoU for technical cooperation partnerships between Goa government and the Ministry of Environment of the Portuguese Republic for Water Supply and Waste Water Management was signed on September 29, 2018. The Public Works Department (PWD) is the nodal department for the project.
The contract, signed on Saturday, will be in operation initially for a period of two years. The key areas for implementation include assessment of existing Salaulim Water Supply Project and Opa Water Supply Project, Software Tools for Decentralised Sewerage Treatment Plant on a pilot basis, Study on Removal of Manganese in Salaulim water Supply System and Capacity Building that is training of PHE sector staff.
PWD principal chief engineer Uttam Parsekar and Administradora from Aguas De Portugal Alexandra Serra signed the contract agreement.
The government of Portugal signed five other MoUs and letters of intent with various institutes based in Goa in the field of technological cooperation for Marine Engineering, Shipbuilding Technology, Blue Economy, Ocean Resources and Technology.
The documents were signed between the Portuguese Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC-TEC), under CEMENT – (Cooperation for Excellence in Marine Exploration and Navigation Technologies) and Indian Institute of Technology ( IIT), Goa, National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), National Centre for Polar and Oceanic Research(NCPOR), The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI) and Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL).
