India Helps South Africa's Water & Energy Crisis

Johannesburg, Feb 13 (PTI) Two South African companies with strong links to India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to help resolve the water and energy crisis in the country.

Imbanita Consulting and Engineering Services, established in 2017 as a joint venture company between Imbani Holdings and Tata Africa, and the local subsidiary of ION Exchange, which offers total water and environment management solutions, signed the MoU at the office of the Consul General of India here on Wednesday.

Bish Chakraborty, CEO of Inbanita, said his company could assist in significantly reducing the load-shedding problems which have left South Africa in the dark for lengthy periods during the past few years.

Load-shedding problems have had a drastic effect on the South African economy.

Chakraborty claimed Imbanita was very well-placed to assist on the power generation side.

Gourish Chakravorty, CEO of Ion Exchange Safic, said his company had been working on the water challenges in South Africa for the past 17 years, with the company in India having done so for over four decades.

“There is also huge potential in South Africa to apply the practical lessons learnt by India, which faced the same situation, of load-shedding and inadequate water supply, 30 years ago. Today there are taps and electricity everywhere in India,” Chakravorty said.

“Partnering with a Tata-based company will strengthen ties for working in South Africa,” he added.

Consul General for India Mahesh Kumar complimented the two companies and said the MoU was one of the outcomes of the Matla-Urja conference on energy, which his office had hosted late last year.

“Water and power are twin challenges to economic growth, so teaming up to help South Africans benefit from their expertise is a very welcome move,” Kumar added.