RESOLUTION FOR BOARD MEETING OF MARCH 16, 2017
Title
RESOLUTION sponsored by the Board of Commissioners recognizing Bharathi Theertha
Body
WHEREAS, Dr. Prakasam Tata, President of Bharathi Theertha and Executive Director of the Center for Transformation of Waste Technology, took the initiative and arranged an invitation by Mr. Kalyan Chakravarty, IAS, Director General of the Environmental Protection, Training, and Research Institute (EPTRI) and Mr. Dana Kishore, IAS, Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB), Hyderabad Telangana, India to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (District) to conduct a Joint Indo-USA Workshop at EPTRI, Hyderabad, Telangana, India; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Prakasam Tata led a team of highly qualified environmental professionals from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (District) comprising Commissioner Frank Avila, Chairman of Finance; Executive Director David St. Pierre; Hitesh Shah, Managing Engineer of the John E. Egan Water Reclamation Plant; and Syama Pappu, Electrical Engineer to conduct the workshop at EPTRI; and
WHEREAS, the main objective of the workshop was to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the EPTRI and the District through which the District would advise EPTRI on developing degree courses on water supply and wastewater treatment and certification courses for the training of wastewater treatment plant operators, exchange knowledge and information on various wastewater treatment technologies, stormwater management and issues pertaining to water quality in streams, rivers, lakes and other waterbodies; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Puranam Venkat, advisor to EPTRI took the District team on site visits to various sewage treatment plants owned and operated by the HMWS&SB, and presented the various issues concerning their operations and management of wastewater treatment in the Hyderabad metropolitan area; and
WHEREAS, B. Kalyan Chakravarty, IAS, Director General, EPTRI; Puranam Venkat, Advisor, EPTRI; and V.S. Krishnamachari, Executive Officer, EPTRI advised on the content of the workshop and provided the logistics and hospitality during the stay of the District team and Dr. Prakasam Tata; and
WHEREAS, Sunil Mittal, IAS, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of IT and Municipal Administration, Telangana, India; Dana Kishore, IAS, Managing Director of the HMWS&SB, Hyderabad, Telangana, India; senior engineering staff members; delegates from the Telangana State Pollution Control Board; Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority; Prof. S. Ramakrishna Rao, Vice Chancellor of Krishna University, Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh participated in the deliberations of the workshop; and
WHEREAS, at the workshop, District team members from Chicago presented on the history of sewage treatment, governance and functions of the various departments of the District, and technologies and maintenance and operation practices at the various water reclamation plants owned and operated by the District; and
WHEREAS, a Memorandum of Understanding was drafted by Dr. Prakasam Tata, President of Bharathi Theertha and the District team to establish a relationship between EPTRI and the District to share knowledge and advise EPTRI on various aspects of wastewater treatment, stormwater management, the development of courses for training wastewater treatment plant operators and managers and for the exchange of visits; and
WHEREAS, the Memorandum of Understanding was approved by the Board of the EPTRI and sent for review and approval by the District; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, on behalf of ourselves and staff, do hereby recognize Bharathi Theertha and its President, Dr. Prakasam Tata for promoting best management practices for the operation of sewage treatment plants, stormwater management, and development of training courses for wastewater treatment plant operators and managers for a clean water environment in Hyderabad and other towns of the Telangana State of India; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution be spread upon the permanent Record of Proceedings of the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, and that a copy of same, suitably engrossed, be presented to Bharathi Theertha.
Dated: March 16, 2017
Approved: MARIYANA T. SPYROPOULOS, President; BARBARA J. MCGOWAN, Vice President; FRANK AVILA, Chairman, Committee on Finance; TIMOTHY BRADFORD; MARTIN J. DURKAN; JOSINA MORITA; DEBRA SHORE; KARI K. STEELE; DAVID J. WALSH; Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
Approved as to Form and Legality: Ronald M. Hill, General Counsel, RMH