Chandigarh June 6, 2021
The ecological footprints of modern human society and its practices are huge. Thus, we need a holistic approach of environmental protection that entails a merger between environmental protection and economic development. said Prof Raj Kumar, Vice Chancellor, Panjab University while presiding over the webinar on “Need for Connecting Industry and People to Nature: Role of Engineers” expressed that the Ancient Indian wisdom of “green, clean, resilient” path is even more relevant today as we pursue poverty reduction and development in an increasingly fragile environment.
The webinar was organised by Panjab University Alumni Association in collaboration with PU Chemical Engineers Alumni Association (PUChETAA) to celebrate World Environment Day. Prof Raj Kumar recommended that the efforts should be made towards the ideal scenario where natural resources can regenerate themselves and be used without compromising the life cycle of production, highlighting the pivotal role of industry in protecting the environment. He expressed his concern towards rapid industrialisation, population growth coupled with changing lifestyles which are increasing the severity of the environmental problems. He made an impassioned plea to all the attendees to be the harbingers of sustainability and become the change agents and be true Karmayogis. Lauding the role of industry, he pleaded with them to undertake an Energy Audit periodically to assess energy usage to reduce wastage and be more efficient and also to benchmark against best practices worldwide. He urged all to plant at least one tree to celebrate World Environment day and contribute towards environment sustainability.
Prof VR Sinha, DUI opined that the environmental protection challenges require multipronged strategies and community participation. By creating opportunities and efficiencies in all social and economic areas of resource utilisation and distribution as well as involvement of all can help achieve sustainable development goals. He made an earnest appeal to all to work wholeheartedly towards developing the planet a better place to live in for our future generations.
Dean Alumni Relations, PU Prof Anupama Sharma highlighted the objective of the panel discussion to sensitise and motivate individuals to think about the way they consume; for businesses to develop greener models; for farmers and manufacturers to produce more sustainably and for youth to build a greener future. The three pillars of Industry 4.0 i.e. digitization, automation, and integration needs to have the fourth pillar of environmental sustainability also. She also highlighted a few initiatives by Panjab University in the direction of environmental protection.
Chief Guest Sh. Aseem Sharma, IFS expressed the need for a long term perspective for developing a tradeoff between industrial economic development and environmental preservation. This mandates resource consumption through a resilience perspective with continuous innovation for developing greener technologies and processes. He stressed on the term “Environ-mend” to highlight the efforts towards environmental restoration.
Treasurer, PUCHETA Sh Rakesh Aggarwal moderated the panel discussion.
Sh. Sukhraj Soni, Business Head, Spray Engg. Devices Ltd., outlined numerous Energy-saving opportunities in industry which can be addressed by either technological or process changes. Technological changes include replacing old machinery with energy-efficient equipment and improving insulation in physical plants. Process changes include shifting production schedules so that more electricity is used during off-peak demand times.
Highlighting cement industry perspective and initiatives, Sh. Ashok Demla, President and MD, Humbolt Wedag India informed that in response to environmental concerns, many businesses have made changes in their product materials, ingredients and packaging. He shared the best practices in the cement industry to reduce the carbon footprints in recent times which has changed the perspective of the cement industry from most polluting to most advanced. Advances in technology have resulted in the production of more sustainable materials and production methods, thereby reducing carbon footprints.
Sh. Sanjeev Handa, Director Projects, EIL highlighted the need to ensure healthy ecosystems that enhance livelihoods and productivity, counteract climate change and prevent the collapse of biodiversity. Without conserving and protecting these resources, sooner rather than later, companies will have no raw materials to use in production. He stressed that we need to usher in an era with sustainability as the cornerstone. He underlined flagship programmes of the government for cleaning major rivers like Ganges and Yamuna.
Prof. Amrit Pal Toor, Chairperson, Dr. SSBUICET Sh. Sanjeev Gupta, Secretary, PUChETAA also expressed their views.
The webinar was attended by faculty, students, alumni members and leading experts from industry.
