IIT Kanpur to convert Army stations into carbon-neutral campuses

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has signed an agreement with the Military Engineer Services (MES) Jhansi to convert Army stations into carbon-neutral campuses.

Under the agreement, five campuses under the MES Jhansi cantonment will be converted into net zero carbon, net zero energy, net zero water and net zero waste stations in a phased manner.

As per an official release, the process will begin with the selected Army campuses being given a proof-of-concept plan to utilize resources sustainably. They will be assessed on the basis of energy sources, energy consumption, carbon footprint, adoption of sustainable alternatives, planting of trees within campus, habitual attributes and so on. The agreement also includes training Army personnel and creating their resource pool through on-job training for sustainable practices.

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The agreement was signed between Colonel Akhil Singh Charak, Commander Works Engineer (CWE) and IITK alumnus; Major Sunny Attri, Garrison Engineer from MES Jhansi, and Professor A R Harish, Dean of R and D, IIT Kanpur. The signing of the agreement took place in IITK in the presence of Professor Ashish Garg, Professor Rajeev Jindal and Professor Aakash C Rai from the sustainable energy engineering department.

During the signing event, Professor Abhay Karandikar, director, IIT Kanpur, said, "This partnership with Military Engineer Services (MES) Jhansi to convert Army stations into carbon-neutral campuses, bears testimony to synergistic efforts between two institutions in contributing towards India’s net zero projections. We look forward to showcase a proof-of-concept model through coordinated initiatives, and through creation of a resource pool of Army personnel trained in sustainable practices.”

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"The transformation of Army cantonments on the basis of the crucial parameters of Net Zero is an attempt to contribute significantly towards India’s carbon neutrality goal. We’ll oversee the entire on-ground processes of the Army campuses selected under the MoU, and would do yearly audit. We’re glad to be associated with MES Jhansi who proactively cooperated for the initiative. Our larger objective is to create success stories of net neutrality within India, one step at a time," says Professor Rajeev Jindal from the sustainable energy engineering department, IITK.

"The Indian Army has always been at the forefront of serving the nation, and this collaboration is another example of their commitment towards the betterment of the country. We are delighted to be a part of this initiative by associating with IIT Kanpur, and we hope that the outcomes of this will inspire others to follow suit as well," said Colonel Akhil Singh Charak.