IIT Bombay launches sustainability policy to promote environment-friendly campus

NEW DELHI : In a bid to achieve sustainability at campus, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Bombay has launched a sustainability policy. The aim of the policy is to adopt green practices which promote an environment-friendly campus and to develop a sense of responsibility among the students, faculty and staff towards conservation of the environment.

In order to accomplish the purpose of the sustainability policy, the IIT Bombay residents will be performing several activities including environmental education and research, environment conservation and management, improved housekeeping activities, safety aspects and governance.

In addition to the policy, the Minister of State (MoS) for Education Sukanta Majumdar released the report of Pan-IIT Sustainability Conclave organised by the institute and the first newsletter of the research hub for Green Energy and Sustainability (GESH). The conclave was organised to initiate collaborative efforts among all the IITs towards Net Zero Campus while GESH is an initiative at IITB to enable research, education and related activities for sustainable development.

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While appreciating the work being done in the institute, Majumdar said, “The excellent research and innovation activities of IIT Bombay will help in achieving the dream of Viksit Bharat”. He also suggested that IIT Bombay should work with young students and expose them to a research environment.

IIT Bombay Sustainability Policy: Key aspects

The major highlights of IIT Bombay’s sustainability policy are as follows:

• Capacity building through education and awareness programmes
• Development of sustainable solutions through research
• Adoption of approaches for zero carbon emissions
• Creation and maintenance of green cover and landscaping
• Biodiversity management
• Handling and sustainable disposal of waste

The institute will take the following measures for a sustainable campus:

• The institute has created a dedicated administrative position of associate dean-III (infrastructure planning and support). The dean will plan, implement, and monitor the green initiatives.
• All undergraduate students at IIT Bombay are required to study a basic course on environment studies offered by the environmental science and engineering department and department of humanities and social sciences.
• The institute will conduct awareness drives including collection of plastics and glass from the campus, zero waste days in mess, poster display, plays on roads, in the months of September and October. IIT Bombay will promote environmental education among kids through competitions, cleaning drives, and plantation activities. The professionals will be trained through short courses and hands-on training. Competitions will be conducted in hostels for food waste minimization.
• IIT Bombay will encourage use of sustainable transport such as bicycles, will construct lanes for cycling, eliminate use of gasoline and diesel, make footpaths for residents, execute rainwater harvesting programmes, recycle and treat water, manage and treat solid waste, take energy conservation measures, towards zero carbon emissions.
• Further, the institute will create and maintain green landscape, maintain biodiversity in the campus, handle the disposal of hazardous waste, improve housekeeping activities and safety aspects.