Shri Sahadeva Sing and Dr. Manvendra Deswal admitted to being impressed by the efficient management of the public company Canal de Isabel II in comparison to similar institutions in Singapore and Delhi. The Delhi Metro Executive Director underlined the quality of the service and the low maintenance costs as Canal’s main virtues.
The Indian Leaders visited Canal de Isabel II’s Control Centre on their last day in Madrid. Having discussed
waste management and
urban transport the day before, this visit gave them an insight into yet another fundamental aspect of sustainable urban development and how this is managed in Madrid.
The company, as Javier Fernández Delgado, deputy head of Telemonitoring, pointed out, is in charge of the full water cycle, from the search for sources, both above and underground, to the treatment of waste water, transport and distribution. To this end, it uses thousands of sensors which monitor the whole cycle around the clock and send information back to the control centre.
The Leaders showed an interest in various aspects of water management in Madrid, such as the tariff system used to encourage a reduction in water use which, together with a reduction in pressure, greater efficiency of household installations and appliances and awareness campaigns leads to responsible usage and better water management. Canal de Isabel II gives awareness courses to some 15,000 schoolchildren every year and, according to Javier Fernández Delgado, after 30 years of raising awareness in this way, people are using water more responsibly. “In times of drought, water use is reduced by 10% just by letting people know there’s a need to save water,” he stated.
The Leaders showed an interest in various aspects of water management in Madrid, such as the tariff system used to encourage a reduction in water use
Among other issues, the Leaders asked questions regarding the origin of water, which according to Javier Fernández Delgado is “very pure”, the cost of treating water for consumption, which is very low thanks to its purity, the fact that rainfall does not facilitate the collection of rainwater at households as they do in India, and the quality standards of the pipe systems, which in the case of CYII are “very high”.
The Indian Leaders finished their visit at the centre’s Control Room, where the network is monitored around the clock.
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