IIT Kanpur to develop land and water restoration plan for Odisha's Angul district

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has signed an agreement with the District Mineral Foundation Trust (DMFT) Angul, Odisha to help in developing a land and water restoration plan. The new project by IIT Kanpur to restore the land and water is being led by IIT Kanpur professor Rajiv Sinha. Under the project, modern technology will be leveraged to come up with solutions for land and water resource restoration for the sustainable development of the district.

Under the agreement, IIT Kanpur will assist the Angul district in restoring the land and water resources affected by mining. Rapid expansion of the mining operations in Angul district resulted in the loss of biodiversity and soil fertility in the area, and also in the degradation of water bodies. The quantity and quantity of the water bodies have drastically reduced and piling up of hazardous waste and drainage issues have become common here.

The objective of the IIT Kanpur project is to help DMF in eco-restoration of the areas impacted by mining activities through assessment of land and water system degradation due to human activities and their restoration. High resolution satellite remote sensing data and drone-based investigations will be used by the institute to determine the baseline conditions. IIT Kanpur will then carry out change detection analysis to assess the degradation and identify the hotspots.

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“The Angul District in Odisha is a very resource-rich region which needs some assistance in restoration of its land and water resources. We are delighted to be leading the efforts in developing a land and water restoration plan for the region. The team led by Prof. Rajiv Sinha will leverage our institute’s resources and expertise to achieve the stated goals of the project. This project is expected to contribute significantly towards the development of a policy document for land use, water budget and utilization plan for the Angul district based on demand and supply management, and also to contribute towards the circular economy of the region,” said Abhay Karandikar, director of IIT Kanpur.

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