University and colleges in the state have been asked to replicate the ‘Green Campus’ project started by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai that aims to reduce the environmental impact of large residential campuses.
University and colleges in the state have been asked to replicate the ‘Green Campus’ project started by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai that aims to reduce the environmental impact of large residential campuses. On Monday, university vice chancellors and college principals were told by the state environment department that they will get financial and technical help if they build green buildings in their campuses and create facilities to conserve energy and water.
The IIT-B has been working on a ‘Green Campus’ project for two years to minimise the ecological footprint of its large campus in Powai. The institute has collected ‘baseline’ data for the final implementation of the plan. Eventually it will enforce rules to conserve and recycle natural resources like water, increase the campus’ green cover, reduce noise and air pollution and garbage. The institute has now appointed a 30-member committee, which includes faculty members, to identify technologies and ideas that could be used to meet these goals.
Shyam Asolekar, professor at the Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering, IIT-B said, “We have done a detailed environmental assessment of the campus including details of its green cover and water consumption with the help of our post-graduate students. This data has been complemented with an energy audit by students of electrical engineering.”
The Powai campus is expanding its facilities and new hostels and academic buildings have considerably reduced its green areas. But the institute has already enforced some environment rules.
For instance, certain areas of the campus have been earmarked for conservation. This means that these places will be out of bounds for development. Also, sections of the Powai lake adjoining the campus have been cleaned and restored by the institute.
From IIT-B, the idea was picked up the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. State environment secretary Valsa Nair Singh said that there is a lot of talk about climate change and global warming. “But we are trying to do something about it and what can be a better place to start than college campuses?” she said. The state will help the institutions with financial aid to build green buildings that meet environment protection norms and to set up energy and water conservation mechanism.
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