Nagpur: Emphasising the importance of technology development for both industry and society in the present era, former Managing Director of Vadodara Enviro Channel Limited, Satish Panchal said wastewater treatment remains a challenge for industry all over the country. Panchal was speaking at the CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute’s (CSIR-NEERI) National Technology Day, on Monday, in NEERI auditorium.
Atul Vaidya, Director of CSIR-NEERI, was also present at the event. Panchal highlighted wastewater treatment as a significant challenge confronting the industrial sector. Speaking on Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), he underscored the necessity to think differently to protect water bodies for future generations, emphasising the crucial roles of wastewater treatment and recycling. He stressed upon the need to adopt automation, digitisation, and Internet of Things (IoT), which include sensors and software, for the smart functioning of wastewater treatment plants in industries.
Panchal urged researchers to take up comprehensive studies of material balance, including input and output, for effective wastewater treatment. He advised scientists to follow the principle of RD&D (Research, Development, and Demonstration) instead of R&D (Research and Development) for the benefit of industry and society. Panchal also briefed about recent technological developments in wastewater treatment, emphasising automation, digitisation, and IoT. He expressed hope that artificial intelligence and machine learning will play a major role in industrial wastewater treatment. Panchal raised concerns over the operation and maintenance of effluent treatment plants across the country. Vaidya briefed on the significance of National Technology Day. He also highlighted the contributions of Prof. P. Khanna, former director of NEERI, in the development of environmental technologies.
Kavita Gandhi, Senior Principal Scientist, CSIR-NEERI, conducted the proceedings. Prakash Kumbhare, Senior Principal Scientist, CSIR-NEERI, proposed a vote of thanks. Panchal visited decentralised sewage treatment facilities created at CSIR-NEERI. Fifty B.E. (Civil Engineering) students from J. D. College of Engineering and Management and thirty B.Pharm. students from Adarsh Institute of Pharmacy participated in the event and visited laboratories where they interacted with CSIR-NEERI scientists.
SOURCE: https://t.ly/z81oD
Image credit: Times of India
