Prime Minister Narendra Modi has had an immensely successful trip to Israel – the first by an Indian Prime Minister. With all the news surrounding the bilateral trade deals and strategic ties, one particular item on his agenda caught our attention. It was when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu highlighted the strides Israel has made in water desalination technology. He drove Prime Minister Modi on to the Olga beach in what looked rather like a prop from a sci-fi movie, called the Gal-Mobile.
The Gal-Mobile is an independent mobile integrated water desalination and purification vehicle that turns sea water into safe and high-quality drinking water. It can purify up to 20,000 litres of sea water a day. It can also purify 80,000 litres of brackish or muddy or even contaminated river water per day. The purified water meets WHO standards for potable water.
Visited the GAL-Mobile water desalination unit at Olga Beach. pic.twitter.com/FuirtlyLAG
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2017
The Gal-Mobile can be effectively used in relief operations during natural disasters like floods and earthquakes. It also has potential for military use in difficult terrain and in rural areas to provide safe drinkable water. The Gal-Mobile is the product of G.A.L. Water Technologies which has been working in the field of water purification for over two decades. The Gal-Mobile itself is the company’s patented solution since 2015 (though the technology has been around for two decades) which it says “can provide drinking water from any source, anytime, anywhere.” The company is a specialist in treating contaminated wells, desalinating brackish water, and the removal of specific contaminants from drinking water.
The system itself is mobile, self-contained and automatic. It weighs 1540 kgs, and can be connected to any possible source of water – from rivers and lakes, to wells, to even the ocean. The vehicle can be driven over multiple terrains and rough surfaces, and can reach a top speed of 90 kmph. It can be operated by just 2 people, and needs just a 30 minute turnaround time to become operational. It can also store about 1000 litres of pure water. It uses a 12V low voltage system and has a fairly compact footprint, allowing it to be transported with ease – by truck or by air.
The Prime Minister was visually excited by his opportunity to experience the Gal-Mobile, and even tweeted about it from his personal handle.
