Bhubaneswar: The State Water Informatics Centre (SWIC), under the Department of Water Resources, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar (IIT BBSR) organised a technical workshop on ‘Introduction of Best Practices in Data Management and Digitization for Water Resources Monitoring using Artificial Intelligence (AI)’ today.  

The objective of the workshop was to strengthen the technical and institutional capacities of government officials, domain experts, and key stakeholders involved in water resource governance.

This initiative seeks to promote the adoption of emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, best practices, and technological frameworks to facilitate data-driven planning, efficient monitoring, and informed decision-making in the water sector.

 The workshop was inaugurated by Development Commissioner -cum- Additional Chief Secretary Water Resources Department Anu Garg, who highlighted the significance of technological integration and intelligent data systems in addressing the growing challenges of water resource management.

“We are preparing the ‘Vision document for Viksit Odisha @2036’ and ‘Viksit Bharat @2047’. When we look across various chapters, whether it is women-led development, climate-resilient Odisha or good governance, digitization and data management have its relevance. In this context, it is important that every departments to go for AI to improve their system for efficiency and transparency in work,” she said.

In his keynote address, Krushna Chandra Mohanty, Director, SWIC stressed the need for adopting data-driven governance models to ensure sustainable and equitable use of water resources. 

This initiative is in alignment with the government’s vision of leveraging advanced technologies for sustainable and integrated natural resource management. The workshop featured technical sessions led by subject-matter experts, focusing on real-world applications of AI in areas such as real-time water resource monitoring, predictive analytics, and digital data system development.