Nagpur : 10 August 2026

In a significant humanitarian initiative to support flood-affected communities in Assam, the CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) has deployed its indigenous NEERI-ZAR Instant Water Filters to provide immediate access to safe drinking water in areas where conventional water supply systems have been disrupted or contaminated by floods.

The emergency water-treatment technology was demonstrated and distributed in Jonakimondal village of Jorhat district, where five household-based and five community-based NEERI-ZAR units were installed to enable affected families to produce potable water from locally available water sources during floods and other emergencies.

To expand the relief effort, 70 household-based and 20 community-based NEERI-ZAR units were handed over to the District Administration, Jorhat for distribution among flood-affected communities. The units were formally handed over by Dr. S. Venkata Mohan, Director, CSIR-NEERI, and Dr. V. M. Tiwari, Director, CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology (CSIR-NEIST), Jorhat.

The initiative is a collaborative effort between CSIR-NEERI and CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology (CSIR-NEIST), combining NEERI's proven water-treatment technology with NEIST's local infrastructure and field capabilities for rapid deployment in disaster-affected areas.

Demonstrating the technology's adaptability and disaster-response potential, all NEERI-ZAR units were assembled at CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat, using locally available materials within just two days, enabling swift deployment in the flood-hit region.

The initiative was carried out under the guidance of Dr. S. Venkata Mohan, Director, CSIR-NEERI, and Dr. Paras Pujari. The deployment was led by Dr. Atul Maldhure, Scientist, CSIR-NEERI, along with Dr. Amrit Kumar, Dr. Rima Biswas and Dr. Abhishek Bisarya, Scientists at CSIR-NEERI, in collaboration with Dr. Dhanjit Das, Dr. Sumit Singh and their team from CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat.

Developed by CSIR-NEERI, NEERI-ZAR is an indigenous emergency water-treatment technology designed to provide safe drinking water during floods, cyclones and other natural disasters. The technology is particularly suitable for flood-prone regions where drinking-water sources often become contaminated and access to conventional water-treatment infrastructure is severely affected.

The technology offers several advantages, including operation without electricity, rapid and simple deployment, suitability for both household and community use, and effective treatment of contaminated water from locally available sources.

The deployment of NEERI-ZAR units marks an important step towards strengthening community resilience and emergency water security in Assam's flood-prone areas. The initiative also highlights the role of indigenous technologies, scientific innovation and inter-institutional collaboration in addressing critical drinking-water needs during natural disasters.

PIB Nagpur | Saurabh Khekde/ Priti Malandkar

 

 

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