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Engineering Council of India
th 8 National Conference onSustainable Development – Role of
Engineers and Technologists
With the Support of :
Member Associations of
Engineering Council of India
November 29, 2010, New Delhi
Souvenir
Principle Sponsor :
ONGC Ltd.
Engineering Council of India
th 8 National Conference onSustainable Development – Role of
Engineers and TechnologistsNovember 29, 2010, New Delhi
Souvenir
Engineering Council of India3rd floor, Jawahar Dhatu Bhawan, 39, Tuglakabad Institutional Area
(Near Batra Hospital), M.B. Road, New Delhi - 110062Phone : 011-65640356, 29963281, 29963282, Fax : 011-29963283
Email : [email protected], [email protected] : www.ecindia.org
th8 National Conference on Sustainable Development- Role of Engineers and Technologists
November 29, 2010 ❑ New Delhi ❑ 3
Contents
Sl. No. Particulars Page
I Background Discussion Paper 5
1. Introduction 7
2. International Concerns for Sustainable Development 9
3. National Concerns for Sustainable Development 10
4. Sustainable Energy Security 13
5. Sustainable Infrastructure - the Transport Imperatives 20
6. Sustainable Mining 21
7. Sustainability through Green Chemistry 22
8. Policy Initiatives on Sustainable Development 23
9. Role of Engineers and Technologists in Sustainable Development 26
10. Conclusion 28
II. Conference Papers 31
1. Energy Efficiency Improvement in Steel Re-Rolling Mill sector 33 in India - A Sustainable Development Effort
— G. Mishra
2. Guiding Principles For Engineers For Achieving Sustainable Development 40
— Srinivas Mantha
3. Sustainable Development – Role of Engineering Managers and Technologists 46
— Y.P. Chawla
4. Sustainable Development - Role of Engineers & Technologists 53
— N.K. Chakraborty
5. Technological Advances Leading to Sustainable Construction of 61Buildings & Bridges
— Vinay Gupta
III. About Engineering Council of India 85
IV. Advertisements 93
6. Holean Education - A Roadmap to Sustainable Education 75
— Prof. Priyavrat Thareja
BackgroundDiscussion Paper
Compiled by :P.N. Shali, Director, ECI
th 8 National Conference onSustainable Development – Role of
Engineers and TechnologistsNovember 29, 2010, New Delhi
Introduction
Sustainable Development is in essence the purpose of tackling and dealing with the immense
and acute problems that mankind is facing and is likely to face further within in the years ahead on
account of the gradual depletion of the earth’s finite energy resources which are largely non-renewable
and on account of the existing methods of their use which are polluting. The role that engineers and
technologists has to play is to created an environment that is enabling, dynamic and inspiring for the
development of solutions to global problems in the fields of energy, environment and current patterns
of development, which are largely unsustainable. They have not only to identify and articulate
intellectual challenges straddling a number of disciplines of knowledge but also in mounting research,
training and demonstration projects leading to development of specific problem-based advanced
technologies that help carry benefits to society at large (TERI).
The term ‘Sustainable Development’ was introduced in the Report of Brundtland Commission in 1987
where it was defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Sustainable development is also considered as a
“process of change in which resources consumed (both social and ecological) are not depleted to the
extent that they cannot be replicated.” Over the years the meaning and theory behind sustainability
and development has vastly expanded and today the world over sustainability and development go
hand in hand.
The adverse impact of industrialization-an important mover of the economic development process-on
environment and natural resources cannot be overlooked. The future development process, therefore,
has to be more conscious of the long term impact on humanity. It has been observed that many of the
planet’s ecosystems are getting degraded at a very rapid rate in this era of globalization and borderless
manufacturing, trade, research and development. The need for development to become more
sustainable, therefore, is not only important but urgent too.
There are a numerous areas where engineers can play very important role in achieving sustainable
development. The important area among these is development of new cutting edge technologies to
provide solutions to the pressing problems of environmental sustainability such as, in optimizing the
use of non renewable resources, building up of waste and pollution absorption economy, ensuring
energy & water security, in addition to paying attention to ever increasing demands for high
productivity and quality assurance conforming to global environmentally sustainable standards.
Some of the areas needing attention are sustainable projects, design-which eliminate negative
environmental impact completely- of buildings, roads and bridges, ports and harbours, equipments,
plants, etc, and their construction and implementation. Another area where engineers and
technologists can make significant contribution is towards “Green Chemistry” which works on the
principle that ‘it is better to prevent waste than to treat or clean up waste after it is formed’. It utilizes
a set of principles that reduces or eliminates use or generation of hazardous substances in the
design, manufacture and application of chemical products. Further, innovation leads to
sustainability.
th8 National Conference on Sustainable Development- Role of Engineers and Technologists
November 29, 2010 ❑ New Delhi ❑ 7
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November 29, 2010 ❑ New Delhi ❑ 8
There are several case histories where nations have substantially benefited from flow of innovations.
Engineers and technologists should, therefore, be innovative in their approach. In the new knowledge
scenario, witnessed by way of the rapid developments that are taking place around the world in the
arena of new and sustainable product development, process modernization, etc, engineers and
technologists should facilitate technology- enabled solutions to the pressing problems of
sustainability.
Engineers and technologists should design and develop equipments and processes which reduce or
eliminate generation of pollutants. The other areas in which engineers and technologists can play a
major role in India’s energy security include developing new cost-effective renewable energy
technologies, innovation of the existing technologies for making these technologies also cost-effective
and developing sustainable mega cities.
thThe main objective of the 8 National Conference is to discuss the issues elaborated above and come out
with a set of recommendations which will enable realisation of higher and environmentally
sustainable economic growth of our economy
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November 29, 2010 ❑ New Delhi ❑ 9
International Concerns for Sustainable Development
Sustainable development has been recognized important in achieving the Millennium
Development Goals. The Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held during
August 6- September 4, 2002 at Johannesburg, South Africa recognized the importance of assisting
developing countries inter alia in implementing environmental commitments and multilateral
environmental agreements as a major goal of strengthened international environmental governance,
requiring capacity building, financial resources, technology transfer, information-sharing and more
effective review and monitoring systems. Further the need for strengthened scientific and
technological capacity; support for the development and strengthening of local and national
institutions within the sustainable development framework, support for the development of national
sustainable development strategies and the need for increased funding, in particular in developing
countries was also recognized. Under the Agenda 21 of the UN World Summit on Sustainable
Development, 1992, activities of engineers have been included in chapters on human settlements and
other specific aspects of sustainable development report. Chapter 31 specifically addressed the
contribution of science and technology to the promotion of sustainable development and called for the
science and engineering professions to develop codes of practice and ethics that implicitly includes
recognition of the concerns of sustainable development.
Further, the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO) held a meeting in September 1991
of its General Assembly in Arusha, Tanzania. At this meeting WFEO adopted the Arusha Declaration
on the future role of engineering, developed from a study of Our Common Future, (the report of the
World Commission on Environment and Development) and other documents. This declaration
provided helpful guidelines that could be used by engineers in their projects. An active contribution
was also made by the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO) to the 1992 United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Rio Summit).
A group of engineers made a systematic analysis of Agenda 21 soon after the Rio Summit and they
found that of the 2500 issues in Agenda 21, 1700 seemed to have engineering or technical implications,
and at least 241 appeared to have major engineering implications including issues such as, sustainable
energy, transport and built environment, engineers code of ethics for sustainable development. Since
1992 the WFEO and their national member engineering bodies have responded to the call for
sustainable development. A number of national engineering institutions also responded to this call for
action. For example, Engineers Australia passed the following motion at its 1993 Annual General
Meeting: ‘That Council acknowledge the leadership role the engineering profession must provide in attainment
of sustainable development and that Council develop special plans to achieve this leadership role and report
progress regularly to the members.’ The Institution set up a Task Force on Sustainable Development in
1994. In October of 1994 Council adopted a ‘Policy on Sustainability‘. The Engineers Australia
published reports during 1999 to 2001 on issues such as, sustainable energy, transport and built
environment. Also the code of ethics of the Institution was changed to include sustainable
development. The other national engineering bodies globally including US National Society of
Professional Engineers have also specifically enacted similar objective of sustainability in their code of
ethics.
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National Concerns for Sustainable Development
As a part of national voluntary actions to address climate change related concerns, India
released its National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) on 30th June 2008. The Action Plan
outlines our strategy to adapt to climate change and enhance the ecological sustainability of our
development path. It recognises that climate change is a global challenge and that it should be
successfully overcome through a globally collaborative and cooperative effort based on the basis of the
principle of equity. The Action Plan suggests that long term convergence of per capita Green House
Gases (GHG) emissions is the only equitable basis for a global agreement to tackle climate change. The
Action Plan assures the international community that India’s per capita GHG emissions would not
exceed the per capita GHG emissions of developed countries, despite India’s development
imperatives (Source MOEF).
The Eleventh Plan envisages a clear commitment to pursue a development agenda which is
environmentally sustainable, based on a strategy that not only preserves and maintains natural
resources but also provides equitable access to those denied this currently. It recognises the need to
have environment protection at the core/centre stage of all policy formulation. In the absence of such
an outlook, development as pursued, may actually lead to deterioration in quality of life. This would
be discernible in the generally worsening quality of air in cities, increasingly polluted waters of our
lakes and rivers, in the loss of biodiversity and shrinking of wildlife habitats. Translating the vision of
environmental sustainability will require that environment concerns are given a high priority in
development planning at all levels.
The Eleventh Plan emphasises the monitorable socio-economic targets in the environment and forests
sector of increasing forest and tree cover by 5 percentage points, attaining WHO standards of air
quality in all major cities by 2011-12, treating all urban waste water by 2011-12 in order to clean river
waters, increasing energy efficiency by 20 per cent by 2016-17 and increasing forest and tree cover by 5
percentage points. Treating urban waste will mean creating substantial additional sustainable
capacities; increasing energy efficiency will mean reducing energy consumption in all sectors of our
economy, particularly in industrial sectors consuming large power and notified by the Government of
India in 2007 such as: Aluminum, Cement, Chlor-Alkali, Pulp & Paper, Fertilisers, Steel, and
Railways, etc,. The Integrated Energy Policy, 2008 suggests that (i) energy efficiency be attained in all
sectors, (ii) all new power generating plants be mandated to adopt technologies that improve their
gross efficiency from 36 per cent to at least 38-40 per cent, (iii) the gross efficiency in existing power
generation plants be increased from the current average of 30.5 percent to 34 percent and (iv) India’s
energy intensity per unit of GDP be reduced by up to 20 percent from current levels in 10-20 years by
policies encouraging energy efficiency and conservation. These goals will have to be achieved through
the measures and mechanisms envisaged/approved in the National Mission on Enhanced Energy
Efficiency as a part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change. With regard to the target of
increasing energy efficiency by 20 per cent by 2016-17, there is a dire need to have a sectoral approach
involving all stakeholders.
India has signed and ratified a number of key multilateral agreements/conventions on environment
issues in recognition of the trans-boundary nature of several environmental problems, impact on
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November 29, 2010 ❑ New Delhi ❑ 11
chemical industry and trade and is committed to complying with the obligations under these
agreements/conventions. It will require inter alia enhancement of our capacity to comply with our
commitments and adequate flow of resources. Here lies the responsibility for our society at large and
particularly for our engineers and technologists to enable compliance of our commitments. We will
also need to intensify our R&D efforts for developing new sustainable technologies for enhancing our
production capacities, across the sectors of our economy. We also will need to train workforce
accordingly including engineers. Besides, at the grass roots level for capacity building purposes, it is
necessary to educate school/college teachers as well as the general public. Training of teachers in
environmental awareness is not given sufficient emphasis at present even though text books are
available. To train the large number of about 5 million school teachers in India requires gigantic efforts.
In addition, a large number of college teachers also need to be trained (Source: Planning Commission).
The Planning Commission has set up an Expert Group on Low Carbon Development under the
Chairmanship of Dr. Kirit Parikh to outline the scope of action we can consider to pursue a low carbon
development strategy without compromising our basic development goals. The report of the Group
will be an important input into the Twelfth Plan (Midterm Appraisal of the XIth Plan).
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting, making depletion in natural
resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP). India’s
sustained effort towards reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) will ensure that the country’s per capita
emission of GHG will continue to be low until 2030-31, and it is estimated that the per capita emission
in 2031 will be lower than per capita global emission of GHG in 2005, according to a new study. Even in
2031, India’s per capita GHG emissions would stay under four tonnes of CO2, which is lower than the
global per capita emission of 4.22 tonnes of CO2 in 2005. India has been ranked ninth in the tree planting
roll of honour in 2009 in a campaign to plant a billion trees, which was launched by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) in November 2006. The country registered 96 million trees till 2009.
The Orissa government has come out with a draft Action Plan on Climate Change entailing an
investment of around US$ 3.6 billion in 11 key sectors over the next five years. It has proposed to put in
place a Climate Change Agency to ensure effective implementation of the plan. Orissa has become the
first state to have formulated the Climate Change Action Plan. All other state governments have also
taken up many green initiatives.
The Law Commission in its 186th Report had, inter-alia, recommended establishment of ‘Environment
Court’ in each state, consisting of judicial and scientific experts in the field of environment for dealing
with environmental disputes besides having appellate jurisdiction in respect of appeals under the
various pollution control laws. The Commission has also recommended repeal of the National
Environment Tribunal Act, 1995 and the National Environment Appellate Authority Act, 1997. After
examining the Report and discussing the modalities in several consultation meetings, the Ministry of
Environment & Forests (NOEF) has decided to implement the recommendations of Law Commission
with some modifications. Accordingly, a draft National Green Tribunal (NGT) Bill was formulated and
examined in consultation with the Ministry of Law and Justice (Source MOEF).
Corporate Initiatives & Investments
According to a study released in May 2010 by leading Swiss lender, Bank Sarasin, Indian information
technology (IT) giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), telecom major Bharti Airtel and wind-turbine
th8 National Conference on Sustainable Development- Role of Engineers and Technologists
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maker, Suzlon are among the global firms having high sustainable development standards. Other
Indian firms, which have high level of sustainability standards mentioned in the report include India’s
largest manufacturer of irrigation plants, Jain Irrigation and leading IT-firm Infosys. The study, which
was conducted among 360 emerging market companies, found that a third of these firms have high
rating in terms of sustainability. Further, Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) commercial arm
Antrix Corporation was awarded the Globe Sustainability Research Award 2010, set up by Stockholm-
based Global Forum, for fostering sustainable development. The prestigious award has been conferred
on Antrix for its contribution to improve sustainable livelihood of the rural poor while reducing their
vulnerability to climate risks. Tata Steel Rural Development Society (TSRDS), an organisation involved
in the steel major’s community building initiatives, embarked on an initiative to empower
communities by creating awareness on the Right to Information (RTI) Act at the grassroot level, in
October 2009. Wipro Infotech, provider of IT and business transformation services, has unveiled its
new eco-friendly and toxin-free desktops, manufactured with materials completely free of deadly
chemicals like polyvinyl chloride and brominated flame retardants. Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd and
GE Power & Water have signed an agreement, to work together and offer environment management
solutions, including waste-water treatment and recycling.
Two Indian companies, namely, Wipro and HCL, have figured in the list of top five green electronics
brands as per the latest edition of the Guide to Greener Electronics by Greenpeace released in October
2009. They have been featured because of their strong focus on the e-waste management and climate
control. The study, which for the first time has included climate and energy as criteria for evaluation,
has placed Wipro in joint second position with Samsung. The number of carbon credits issued for
emission reduction projects in India is set to triple over the next three years to 246 million by December
2012 from 72 million in November 2009, according to a CRISIL Research study. This will cement India’s
second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction
units or CERs). The growth in CER issuance will be driven by capacity additions in the renewable
energy sector and by the eligibility of more renewable energy projects to issue CERs. Consequently, the
share of renewable energy projects in Indian CERs will increase to 31 percent. Gamesa Corporation
Technological, a Spanish company specialising in sustainable energy technologies, especially
fabrication of wind turbines and setting up of wind farms, has set up a 500-MW per year capacity
facility in Chennai at an investment of US$ 54.7 million. CLP India aims to add around 200 MW of wind
power installations every year to its portfolio and has committed an investment of over US$ 2.2 billion
towards this. It recently opened its 99-MW Theni Wind Farm in Tamil Nadu taking its total wind power
portfolio in India to 446 MW. Green Industry Bio Energy Private Limited, a special purpose vehicle
(SPV) formed by Emergent Ventures and US-based Indus Terra is aiming to use poultry litter in
Haryana to generate power for the state power grid. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) is looking
to create a demand for energy efficient products and goods and services awareness. The Bureau has set
up an energy efficiency financing platform (EEFP), which aims at ensuring availability of finance at
reasonable rates for energy efficiency project implementation and its expansion. The Indian
Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd (IREDA), Power Finance Corporation, SIDBI, PTC India
Ltd and HSBC India have come together to reap the estimated US$ 15.9 billion energy efficiency market
in India, as they join the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) proposed, financing platform.
th8 National Conference on Sustainable Development- Role of Engineers and Technologists
November 29, 2010 ❑ New Delhi ❑ 13
Sustainable Energy Security
In recent years, India’s energy consumption has been increasing at one of the fastest rates in
the world due to population growth and economic development. During the 5-year period ended on
March 31, 2007, the CAGR of consumption of petroleum products was approximately 3.6%, compared
to a CAGR for GDP of 7.6% for the same period. Despite the overall increase in energy demand, per
capita energy consumption in India is still very low compared to other developing countries. Today,
India has one of the highest potentials for the effective use of renewable energy. India is the world’s fifth
largest producer of Wind Power after Denmark, Germany, Spain, and the USA. There is a significant
potential in India for generation of power from renewable energy sources-, small hydro, biomass and
solar energy. The country has an estimated SHP (small-hydro power) potential of about 15000 [3]
MW. The energy policy of India is characterized by tradeoffs between four major drivers: Rapidly
growing economy, with a need for dependable and reliable supply of electricity, gas, and petroleum
products; Increasing household incomes, with a need for affordable and adequate supply of electricity,
and clean cooking fuels; Limited domestic reserves of fossil fuels, and the need to import a vast fraction
of the gas, crude oil, and petroleum product requirements, and recently the need to import coal as well;
and Indoor, urban and regional environmental impacts, necessitating the need for the adoption of
cleaner fuels and cleaner technologies. These trade-offs are often difficult to achieve. For example, the
supply of adequate, yet affordable electricity generated and used cleanly is a continuing challenge
because expansion of supply and adoption of cleaner technologies, especially renewable energy, often
means that this electricity is too expensive for many Indians, particularly in rural areas. In recent years,
these challenges have led to a major set of continuing reforms and restructuring. Here lies the challenge
for our engineers & technologists.
The Power & Energy Infrastructure sector in India is poised for a major take-off. The APDRP
(Accelerated Power Development & Reforms Programme 2002 - 2012) has seen an addition of around
22,000 MW during last five years. And during the next five years, a capacity addition of over 78,000
MW has to be setup by 2012. (A commitment of 15,600 MW capacity addition per annum).The Market
Potential to sustain the GDP Growth rate of India @ 8% plus per annum needs the power sector to grow
at 1.8 - 2 times the GDP rate of growth as espoused by economists, planners and industry experts. This
would mean a YOY capacity addition of 18,000 - 20,000 MW to achieve this ambitious plan of moving
India to a Developed Economy status, as an Economic Global Powerhouse. The Target Mission : ‘Power
for All by 2012’ would mean achieving the target of 1000 KwHr (Units) of per capita consumption of
electricity by this period, adequate capacity growth to sustain GDP growth at 8% plus reliable &
quality power on 24 x 7 basis, at least in urban & industrialized areas. 100% rural electrification with
adequate & qualitative power for irrigation purpose etc. To achieve this goal, following milestones are
critical :- attract US $ 250 billion investment into the sector (FDI & Domestic Investment Combined).
Sustainable development of power sector will mean having a increasing role of hydro, nuclear &
renewable energy in the energy mix and develop the alternatives, both in the fuel & technology terms.
The development needs of developing countries are still enormous, particularly energy needs and
hence energy security. For meeting these needs, the constraint of climate change will become
increasingly problematic. Statistically speaking, around 2.7 billion people world-wide still use biomass
4
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November 29, 2010 ❑ New Delhi ❑ 14
and around 1.4 billion people do not have access to electricity. Considering the energy needs on per
capita basis, presently, developing countries use one-fifth of energy and least developing countries this
ratio is one-sixteenth when compared with energy consumed by the developed industrialized
countries (Prof Ambuj Sagar, IIT Delhi). Thus developing countries will need to enhance their energy
infrastructure significantly. Will this be easy? Given the international pressure for arresting global
warming, this will not be an easy thing to do. Let us be clear about this constraint. According to the
reference scenario in the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook 2009, around 90 % of
the growth in energy demand world-wide during 2008-2030 will come from non-OECD countries
(mainly in Asia). This will mean that these countries will account for two-third of the power generation
capacity addition worldwide during this period (Prof Ambuj Sagar). This scenario has also estimated
that the global investments in addition to power generation capacity during this period will be around
$ 7.2 trillion. Around more than half of these investments will be needed in developing countries
(mostly in Asia including India) Coming to sustainability of these investments, under a scenario of to
maintain Green House Gases generation (GHG) concentration below 450 parts-per million (commonly
talked about target), the required investment would increase by almost by 30 %.So we are faced with
higher energy needs, ever-hardening climate constraints and potentially enormous incremental
investment needs. Here technology would, in principle, have to play a crucial role. Here comes the role
of engineers & technologists. But it is not that simple. Because, argues Prof Ambuj Sagar, “realizing the
potential of technology to help meet this challenge is not always a straightforward task”. Here we need
innovation capability in our engineers & technologists. All said and done, we have weak innovation
capabilities. Prof Ambuj Sagar says that we need a targeted mechanism to supplement and strengthen
these capabilities for advancing innovation which will ensure the target of GHG emission. India has
proposed climate innovation centres to help developing countries find technology solutions to tackle
increasing energy demands, climate constraints and investment needs and thus put an end to
dependency for technical assistance. (Prof. Ambuj Sagar).
While it is well known that the conventional technologies of power generation will not do. These
technologies need innovations and we need alternate modes to produce power and also tap other
sources of energy. Here non renewable energy and nuclear energy are sustainable modes. But we need
cost effective non renewable energy technologies which can generate energy at higher capacities than
is there at present. Here is the challenge for our engineers & technologists.
Coming to the Nuclear Power, thanks to the government of India for the nuclear deal which will
enable it not only to increase the share of nuclear power in the total energy basket, but also build up
large capacities in future when the thorium - based reactors come into the circuit. India has a very large
thorium resources at its command and we are only waiting for the thorium-based fuel to become a
reality. Here our engineers and technologists at the BARC and IGCR, Kalpakam, TN are working hard
to make it happen. With a peak power deficit of 12-14 percent, India is keen on scaling up its civil
nuclear capabilities to supplement power capacities that are predominantly thermal today. Nuclear
energy can provide our growing economy with a clean and efficient source of power. India plans to
build 20 new nuclear power plants by 2020. India has developed its own nuclear power reactors with
technologies transferred from the United States and Canada. It concluded civil nuclear cooperation
pacts with countries such as the United States and France after a consensus was reached in September,
2008 by the Nuclear Suppliers Group, which allows India to start trading nuclear technologies for
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November 29, 2010 ❑ New Delhi ❑ 15
civilian nuclear programs with 46 member states. More agreements including with Japan are being
negotiated. The agreement with Japan assumes importance because the US and French companies
cannot proceed with their projects to build nuclear reactors in India as they need 'reactor vessels' made
by Japan Steel Works Ltd., which accounts for nearly 80 percent of global supplies of forged nuclear
reactor parts. Here lies the challenge for the Indian engineers and technologists for developing such
vessels; which needs technology. In other words, Indian engineers and technologists should work for
replacing the Japanese technology with the Indian technology. Meanwhile, India should also explore
other available alternatives to acquire the Japanese technology for making the reactor vessels and
reactor parts.
India has been using imported enriched uranium in reactors which are under International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. It has developed various aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle to
support its reactors. Development of select technologies has been strongly affected by limited imports.
Use of heavy water reactors has been particularly attractive for the nation because it allows Uranium to
be burnt with little to no enrichment capabilities. India has also done a great amount of work in the
development of a Thorium centered fuel cycle. While Uranium deposits in India are extremely limited,
there are much greater reserves of Thorium and it could provide hundreds of times the energy with the
same mass of fuel. The fact that Thorium can theoretically be utilized in heavy water reactors has tied
the development of the two. A prototype reactor that would burn Uranium-Plutonium fuel while
irradiating a Thorium blanket is under construction at the Madras/Kalpakkam Atomic Power Station.
Uranium used for the weapons program has been separated from the power programme, using
Uranium from scant indigenous reserves.
While all hopes are focused today on Nuclear Power for sustainable energy security, it is not all that
encouraging because this technology needs mining of uranium and any mining has environment costs
involved and more so the Uranium reserves are anticipated to be over by 2050 (Rashme Sehgal). Energy
experts warn that an acute shortage of uranium is going to hit the nuclear energy industry. Dr Yogi
Goswami, co-director of the Clean Energy Research Centre and the inventor of the a new
thermodynamic cycle for solar thermal power now called the Goswami Thermodynamic cycle, argues
that at the Current nuclear plants consume around 67,000 tonnes of high-grade uranium per year. With
present uranium deposits in the planet having been estimated at 4-5 million tones, this means the
present resources would last 42 years. University of Florida warns that “the proven reserves of
uranium will last less than 30 years.” But if there is going to be a stepping up of nuclear energy plants,
as seems to be the case, then the likelihood is that the time span is going to be considerably reduced. Dr
Goswami, says, “by 2050, all proven and undiscovered reserves of uranium will be over.” Other
options for producing uranium, however, will be available. For example, three parts per billion of sea
water is uranium but the costs of recovering this uranium are so high that it is unlikely to prove an
viable option.” Dr Goswami agreed that atomic fuel was limitless if a government went in for breeder
reactors. But from the 400 nuclear reactors being used in the world, “I do not know of a single
government using them at present.” Dr Goswami also expresses his skepticism at the thermal breeder
reactor technology based on thorium. At present, India is the only country pursuing this because of its
substantial thorium reserves. His views were seconded by Dr Lee Stefankos, a professor of electrical
engineering and Director of the Clean Energy Research Centre at the University of South Florida, who
has been carrying out research in the areas of solar thermal energy conversion, photovoltaic systems
th8 National Conference on Sustainable Development- Role of Engineers and Technologists
November 29, 2010 ❑ New Delhi ❑ 16
and hydrogen, also feels that nuclear energy is not one of the major producers of energy. With the
shrinking uranium reserves, Dr Stefankos believes solar energy provides a safer and in the long run, a
much cheaper alternative. An Indian scientist pointed out, “India is investing thousands of crores in
expanding a nuclear energy program even though they were warned that high grade uranium is as
much a dwindling resource as are coal and gas resources.” Here lies the challenge for engineers &
technologists to come up with a solution to this issue.
Coming to the Renewable Energy, it is still undeveloped. India was probably the first country in the
world to set up a separate ministry of non-conventional energy resources in early 1980s. However the
results have been very mixed and in recent years it has lagged far behind other developed nations in
using renewable energy (RE). RE contribution to energy sector is less than 1% of India’s total energy
needs. This sector comprises solar power, wind power, biofuels, ocean waves, etc. India is both densely
populated and has high solar insulation providing an ideal combination for solar power in India. Much
of the country does not have an electrical grid, so one of the first applications of solar power has been
for water pumping, to begin replacing India’s four to five million diesel powered water pumps, each
consuming about 3.5 kilowatts, and off-grid lighting. Some large projects have been proposed, and a
35,000 km² area of the Thar Desert has been set aside for solar power projects, sufficient to generate 700
to 2,100 GWTs (gigawatts) of energy.
The Indian Solar Loan Programme, supported by the UN Environment Programme has won the
prestigious Energy Globe World award for sustainability for helping to establish a consumer financing
program for solar home power systems. Over the span of three years more than 16,000 solar home
systems have been financed through 2,000 bank branches, particularly in rural areas of South India
where the electricity grid does not yet extend. Launched in 2003, the Indian Solar Loan Programme was
a four-year partnership between UNEP, the UNEP Resource Centre, and two of India’s largest banks,
the Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank. The Government of India announced in November 2009,
Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission launched under the National Action Plan on Climate Change which
plans to generate 1,000 MW of power by 2013 and up to 20,000 MW grid-based solar power, 2,000 MW
of off-grid solar power and cover 20 million sq meters with collectors by the end of the final phase of the
mission in 2022.
The development of wind power in India began in the 1990s. It accounts for 6% of India’s total installed
power capacity, and it generates 1.6% of the country’s power. The speed of development of wind power
has significantly increased in the last few years. Though, a relative newcomer to the wind industry
compared with Denmark or the US, India has the fifth largest installed wind power capacity in the
world. As of 31 October 2009, the installed capacity of wind power in India was 11806.69 MW mainly
spread across Tamil Nadu (4900.765 MW), Maharashtra (1945.25 MW), Gujarat (1580.61 MW),
Karnataka (1350.23 MW), Rajasthan (745.5 MW), Madhya Pradesh (212.8 MW), Andhra Pradesh
(132.45 MW), Kerala (46.5 MW), Orissa (2MW), West Bengal (1.1 MW) and other states (3.20 MW).It is
estimated that 6,000 MW of additional wind power capacity will be installed in India by 2012 as against
a target of 10,500 MWS between 2007-12.
The former President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam, is one of the strong advocators of Jatropha cultivation
for production of bio-diesel. According to him, out of the 6, 00,000 km² of waste land that is available in
India over 3,00,000 km² is suitable for Jatropha cultivation. Once this plant is grown the plant has a
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useful lifespan of several decades. During it life Jatropha requires very little water when compared to
other cash crops. A plan of incentives to encourage the use of Jatropha has been implemented. It has a
potential to bridge our energy gap and here lies the challenge for our engineers & technologists to make
it happen.
CRISIL Research expects India’s renewable energy capacity to increase to 20,000 MW by December
2012, from the current 15,542 MW. In the Union Budget 2010-11, the government announced the setting
up of the National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) for undertaking research and innovative projects in
clean technologies. The Plan outlay for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has been increased
by 61 per cent, from US$ 134.7 million in 2009-10 to US$ 217.2 million in 2010-11. The Central Electricity
Regulatory Commission (CERC) has announced renewable energy certificate (REC) norms in a bid to
promote power generation from clean sources in the country. Unfortunately, renewable energy in India
is a sector that is still undeveloped with R E contribution to the energy sector being less than 1% of
India's total energy needs. It is behind other developed nations in using renewable energy (RE).
Energy conservation has emerged as a major policy objective, and the Energy Conservation Act 2001,
was passed by the Indian Parliament in September 2001. This Act requires large energy consumers to
adhere to energy consumption norms; new buildings to follow the Energy Conservation Building
Code; and appliances to meet energy performance standards and to display energy consumption
labels. The Act also created the Bureau of Energy Efficiency to implement the provisions of the Act.
There are barriers. Initial cost for wind turbines is greater than that of conventional fossil fuel
generators per MW installed. Noise is produced by the rotor blades. This is not normally an issue in the [22]
locations chosen for most wind farms and research by Salford University shows that noise
complaints for wind farms in the UK are almost non-existent. Despite the high installed capacity, the
actual utilization of wind power in India is low because policy incentives are geared towards
installation rather than operation of the plants. This is why only 1.6% of actual power production in
India comes from wind although the installed capacity is 6%. The government is considering the [8]
addition of incentives for ongoing operation of installed wind power plants.
Hydro Power
The hydro power is a sustainable mode of power generation when compared with the conventional
thermal power generation. India has a large potential of hydro power to exploit. Unfortunately due to a
number of reasons, the pace of Hydro Power development has been slow. The share of hydro capacity
in the total installed capacity has been around 25 per cent at the end of the Eighth Plan and remained at
the same level at the end of the Ninth Plan and marginally increased to 26 per cent by the end of the
Tenth Plan. As against the target of 15,627 MW for the Eleventh Plan, only 8,237 MW (53 per cent) is
expected to materialise during the Plan. It means in other words that with the projected hydro capacity
addition of 8,237 MW - out of the total likely addition of 62,374 MW in the Eleventh Plan, the share of
hydro power is likely to come down to around 23 per cent. Measures need to be taken to increase the
share of hydro power and plan open cycle gas based projects to meet the peak demand effectively.
There are some issues which need to be addressed if the pace in generating hydro power has to be
increased. These issues are: I) environment and forest clearances,(2) development of infrastructure
(roads &highways), (3) land acquisition, (4) rehabilitation & resettlement issues,(5) security clearance,
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(6) availability of hydrological data to private developers,(7) power evacuation, (8) storage project
versus RoR projects and (9) long term financing.
In order to address these issues, several policy initiatives have been taken, including Hydro
Development Policy initiated by MOP; 50,000 MW hydro power development initiative; incentives for
the development of small hydro projects and Constitution of an Inter-Ministerial Group to develop a
strategy to enhance the pace of hydro power development in the North Eastern Region. Development
of Hydro Power, however, needs a strong push. A policy to develop identified sites with all clearances
of environment for forests and land acquisition should be taken up on a large number of sites
simultaneously. Some of these could then be bid out to private investment (Midterm Appraisal of the
XIth Plan).
Hydrogen Energy
The National Hydrogen Energy Road Map (NHERM) programme in India - for bridging the
technological gaps in different areas of hydrogen energy, including its production, storage,
transportation and delivery, applications, safety, codes and standards and capacity building for the
period up to 2020 - was initiated by the National Hydrogen Energy Board ((NHEB) in 2003; and it was
approved in 2006. The program is under direction of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
(MNRE).
National Solar Mission
The government of India is contemplating to set up 1,100 Mega Watt grid-connected solar plants,
including 100 MW capacity plants as rooftop and smaller solar power plants for the first phase of the
National Solar Mission till March 2013. The government has approved US$ 974.65 million for this
plant. In addition, the government plans to generate 20,000 MW solar power by 2022 under the three-
phase National Solar Mission, with 2000 MW capacity equivalent off-grid solar applications, including
20 million solar lights, also planned to be installed during this period (MOEF).
Sustainable energy investment in India went up to US$ 4.1 billion in 2008, up 12 per cent since 2007,
according to a report by UN Environment Program (UNEP), ‘Global Trends in Sustainable Energy
Investment 2009.’The largest portion of investment went to the wind sector, which grew at 17 per cent
from US$ 2.2 billion to US$ 2.6 billion. While investment in solar energy rose from US$ 18 million in
2007 to US$ 347 million in 2008, most of it was channelised to setup module and cell manufacturing
facilities. Small hydro investment grew by about fourfold to US$ 543 million in 2008.
Clean Energy and Technology
The Energy Efficiency Indicator (EEI) survey for corporate India, released in June 2009, reveals that 47
per cent of the respondents are paying more attention to energy efficiency, compared to 2008 and 94 per
cent of the respondents feel that energy management is extremely important. An increase in capital
investments for energy efficiency is needed according to 62 per cent respondents, while 72 per cent of
the respondents feel their organisations can achieve more energy efficiency from operating budgets.
More than 92 per cent of the respondents say energy efficiency is a priority in new construction as well
as in renovation projects. The power project, costing US$ 13.23 million, will convert poultry manure
into electricity and slurry into fertiliser by the process of anaerobic digestion at a high temperature
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through a process called thermophilic digestion. The 5.6 MW power project would be built in two
phases; phase one with a capacity of 1.4 MW and the second with 4.2 MW capacity.
Finally, sustainable energy security picture cannot be considered complete till we also look at
Investing in Clean Energy. India, a rapidly emerging economy with the world’s second largest
population, is facing a surging energy demand. Its rural population is around 114 million households,
representing 76 percent of India’s rural residents and almost 60 percent of the country’s total
population. In 2005, around 45 percent of India’s households still did not have reliable access to
electricity and relied on kerosene for lighting, and more than 85 percent of rural BoP households mostly
used conventional free or inexpensive sources of fuel, such as firewood and dung, for cooking.
These fuel sources, however, are not only harmful to users’ health but also contribute to pollution
(Energy Survey, 2005).Despite their low income, these households constitute a significant consumer
market for the energy services and products required to provide daily necessities such as cooking and
lighting. Using the most recent available It is estimated that India’s rural consumers energy need is
around Rs 22400 crore (US$4.86 billion) per year (Expenditure Data (2004/2005).
What is “Clean energy”? It refers to products and services that produce energy from renewable
resources and emit fewer greenhouse gas emissions than does energy from conventional fuel sources.
Today, a reliable supply of power from the electricity grid is, by and large, just not there; the availability
of free and inexpensive fuels such as, wood and kerosene influence in a greater measure largely the
base-line rural consumers and to some extent also the poor urban consumers. So, what we need is clean
energy electricity systems and clean energy cooking and light products. That means we have to
produce more of solar lanterns, solar home systems, energy-efficient cook stoves, and electricity
generated from decentralized sources, including small hydro power plants and biomass gasified
systems. The clean energy option- clean energy services and products- may require an upfront
investment three to ten times greater than that for conventional energy.
Other Sectors
These include sustainable manufacturing and sustainable agriculture. Over the past twenty years
many policy decisions have been taken for ensuring and encouraging sustainable manufacturing. The
tempo has not gone deeper in our manufacturing sector in the sense that still there is a large number of
industrial units in the medium and small sectors which has still to come up to the standards of large
manufacturing units in maintaining norms of sustainability. This needs attention. In agriculture sector,
we will have to move towards organic agriculture and sustainable irrigation to back it up. Treating
used industrial water, sewerage, harvesting rain water, managing water bodies and linking rivers are
some of the measures that we need to take by inducting appropriate technologies for ensuring water
security and arresting pollution. Many policy measures have already been taken in this regard. Now it
is the responsibility of engineers & technologists to bring in cost effective technologies as required for
realizing the goal fully.
Sustainable Infrastructure - the Transport Imperatives
When we look at the Indian transport sector, we find it large & diverse with road transport
being the dominant mode with up to 80% of passenger & 65% of freight traffic. Railways’ share in
passenger traffic is only around 14m passengers/day. Road transport is not sustainable primarily
because of lower fuel efficiency, low payloads, etc.; while as the railway transport (electrical traction) is
considered sustainable. Looking at the roads & railway comparison in a little bit more detail, we find
the annual growth rate from 1990 base of 80% share of land transport, demand for road transport has
been growing at 12% in freight and 8% in passenger traffic. As against this, demand for rail transport
has been growing at around 1.4% a year for freight and 3.6% a year for passenger traffic. During the last
three years, however, growth of rail freight has been 9.4 and rail passenger traffic at around 7.4%. There
is a visible global shift towards railways because rail travel on an average generates and emits 3-10
times less GHGs than road / air. In India the growth of railway sector has not kept a desired pace with
the overall transport sector growth even with capacity additions. For example, on an average growth in
freight movement has been around 9-12%; as against this, the growth in rail freight movement has been
around 6-9%.Consequently, estimated fall in railways’ market share has been from 36% in 1999-2000 to
29% in 2011-12. For sustainable transport sector, this trend needs reversal. Eventual carbon mitigation
rating for transport sector projects will be realized by using non-fossil fuels for traction & operations,
change in mode of transport: light cargo, short haul, heavy haul, change in use of rolling stock energy
efficiency in commercial hubs (terminals, warehouses, logistics parks): 25% cut in carbon emissions
through LEED-rated buildings (carbon credits), reduction in transmission loss in electric OHE lines,
etc. Though it is well recognized that the transport sector will have to move towards low carbon mode,
there are some constraints at present for low carbon - based transport infrastructure to become a reality.
These include carbon dioxide reduction strategies not yet clear or backed by clear government policies,
high cost of clean fuel technologies - large scale solar, wind power costly and not yet commercially
viable. Estimated saving of GHGs emissions with rail transport has been projected at 360 - 500MT by
2027 (cumulative) through vehicle displacement, shift from diesel to electrical locomotives, diesel
efficient locomotives, locomotives with regenerative braking, swap/barter strategy, high-speed trains,
etc.
The key for sustainable transport infrastructure, therefore, lies in moving more to railway transport for
freight and passenger traffic, building long road transport carriers, use of fuel efficient 3-phase locos
with regenerative braking, high speed regenerative locomotives/kinetic energy harnessing electric
locos for energy recovery - supply to grid 10%, FEMU services for time-sensitive light cargo. This calls
for policy intervention, investment including in developing energy-efficient technologies including
renewable energy-based technologies, improving fuel management in diesel locomotives, high speed
trains, inter-modal mix, etc. (Source: Sharmila Chavaly, Executive Director (Finance), Railway Board).
The Ministry of Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation has launched a US$ 300 million green
urban transport project called the Sustainable Urban Transport Project (SUTP). Under the project,
green urban transport will be introduced in select cities to overcome pollution and other hazards of the
existing urban transport system, including traffic impediments for pedestrians.
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Sustainable Mining
India produces 86 minerals– 4 fuel, 10 metallic, 46 non metallic, 3 atomic and 23 minor
minerals. Around 900 million tones of minerals are mined in India annually. Assuming a strip ratio of
6:1, it means 5400 million tones are moved annually. Inevitably, there will be an environmental and
social impact of this. The Indian mining companies have joined hands to form the sustainable mining
initiative. The companies include NMDC, ACC, Essel Mining, Sesa Goa, Hindustan Zinc Ltd, Tata
Steel, MSPL, Rungta Mining, NALCO and Rio Tinto- a multinational mining company. The global
mining initiative has also been taken for sustainable mining. Work programmes have been initiated
aimed at improving the contribution of the mining & metals industry to sustainable development.
There are perceptions, however, of serious long-term strategic threats, poor environmental and social
performance of the mining industry leading to growing ‘popular prejudice’ across society, regarding
future and ongoing access to markets, resources, capital, people, etc,. There are potential market
threats arising from evolving shift in the values of societies regarding sustainable development.
Engineers and technologist will have to ensure that the future mining will have to be environment
friendly in the short term, medium term and the long-term. India has already taken major policy
initiatives for ensuring sustainable mining. World over, engineers and technologists are engaged in
research & development which will enable making use of bio engineering in mining of ores in stiu,
particularly lean grade ores through bacterial leaching. In this technology, there will not be any blasting
or carrying out other jobs which are related to conventional mining and most of these are not
environment friendly.
Today in India , as it is in the other countries, environment management plan (EMP) is a must inclusion
in the feasibility studies and DPRs of mining projects. The project cannot be taken up without this. The
viability of mining projects is also estimated including the investment that is required for
implementing the EMP. After mining is over, restoring the landscape of the area which has been mined
fully is also must for an investor to do. There is, however, still a large scope for improvement,
particularly through environment friendly technologies.
The central government is contemplating to build a corpus by levying clean energy cess on coal
produced in India at a nominal rate of US$ 1.08 per tone. This cess will also apply on imported coal.
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Sustainability through Green Chemistry
Another area where engineers and technologists can make significant contribution is towards
“Green Chemistry” which works on the principle that ‘it is better to prevent waste than to treat or clean
up waste after it is formed’. It utilises a set of principles that reduces or eliminates use or generation of
hazardous substances in the design, manufacture and application of chemical products. Green
chemistry-also called sustainable chemistry-is a philosophy of chemical research and engineering that
encourages the design of products and processes that minimise the use and generation of hazardous
substances. It seeks to reduce and prevent pollution at its source. The Pollution Prevention Act was
passed in the United States in 1990. This act helped create a modus operandi for dealing with pollution in
an original and innovative way. It aims to avoid problems before they happen. As a chemical
philosophy, green chemistry applies to organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, bio chemistry,
analytical chemistry and even physical chemistry. While green chemistry seems to focus on industrial
applications, it does apply to any chemistry choice. It is often cited as a style of chemical synthesis that
is consistent with the goals of green chemistry. The focus is on minimizing the hazard and maximizing
the efficiency of any chemical choice. It is distinct from environmental chemistry which focuses on
chemical phenomena in the environment. Ryôji Noyori identified in 2005 three key developments in
green chemistry: use of super critical carbon dioxide as green solvent, aqueous hydrogen peroxide for
clean oxidations and the use of hydrogen in asymmetric synthesis. Examples of applied green chemistry
include super critical water oxidation. Bioengineering is also seen as a promising technique for achieving
green chemistry goals. A number of important process chemicals can be synthesized in engineered
organisms, such as shikimate, a Tamiflu precursor which is fermented by Roche in bacteria. Reportedly,
there is some debate as to whether green chemistry includes a consideration of economics, but by
definition, if green chemistry is not applied, it cannot accomplish the reduction in the “use or generation of
hazardous substances.” Obviously, its economics would be favourable.
Following historical analyses of the green chemistry development, there have been green chemistry
advocates who see it as an innovative way of thinking. On the other hand, there have been chemists
who have argued that green chemistry is no more than a public relations label. In fact, a lot of chemists
use the term “green chemistry” independently from the green chemistry paradigm, as proposed by
Anastas and Warner. This explains the uncertainty of the scientific status of green chemistry. The
University of Massachusetts, Boston became the first university in the World to offer a Ph.D. in Green
Chemistry. In 2005, the University of Oregon’s chemistry department unveiled the Greener Education
Materials, a database of green chemistry topics. In 2009, Oxford University Press/ACS Symposium
Series published Green Chemistry Education: Changing the Course of Chemistry. The book contains essays
from a broad array of educators who share their best practices for the incorporation of green chemistry
into the chemistry and chemical engineering curricula. There are many green chemistry courses
available in the UK at an MSc level. These include MSc in Green Chemistry & Sustainable Industrial
Technology at the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence based at the University of York, MSc Chemical
Research in Green Chemistry at Leicester University and MRes in Green Chemistry at Imperial College
London. A master’s level course in Green Technology has been introduced by the Institute of Chemical
Technology, India in 2010. This is the first of its kind in India and aims at educating students about
cleaner & more sustainable mechanisms for a greener tomorrow. The application of Green Chemistry
principals transacts many engineering disciplines.
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Policy Initiatives on Sustainable Development
Eight National Missions-Solar, Enhanced Energy Efficiency, Sustainable Habitat, Water,
Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem, Green India, Sustainable Agriculture and on Strategic
Knowledge for Climate Change - representing a multipronged, long term and integrated approach,
form the core of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). While two missions stand
approved, others are at various stages of approval as of now. The National Solar Mission has been
launched on 11th January, 2010; and the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency has been
launched in April 2010. Remaining Mission documents are at final stages of approval by the Prime
Minister’s Council on climate change. The MOEF will play a coordinating and implementing role after
the Missions are finalized. Besides these missions, the NAPCC also outlines 24 other major initiatives
aimed at promoting technologies and actions that will have substantial benefits in terms of addressing
climate change. Among new initiatives, it is proposed to set up a National Climate Centre to provide
advisory and technical support services to the Ministry in the areas of climate change modeling,
NATCOM, negotiations and other technical works. Capacity building in CDM for corporate, private
and state sectors is also proposed to enable access to larger number of projects by these sectors.
Recognizing significant impacts of climate change at regional and state level, a time bound programme
for preparation of state level Action Plans on climate change consistent with NAPCC is also proposed.
This would enable the communities and ecosystems to adopt climate change effectively thus
facilitating smooth and successful implementation of the NAPCC.
The Government of India has revised in 2009 the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
and limits for 12 pollutants have been notified. Area classification based on land use has been done
away with so that there are uniform ambient air quality norms for residential and industrial areas. The
revised standards are based on global best practices, local Indian conditions and are in keeping with
advancements in technology and research. These new generation of ambient air quality standards,
providing legal framework for the control of air pollution and the protection of public health, would
serve as bench mark for proactive environmental planning and effective control of air pollution.
The re-engineered Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification was issued in September,
2006 for mandating prior environmental clearance of certain categories of projects and activities. The
Notification covers various stages of environmental appraisal, public consultation, and categorization
of projects into ‘A’ and ‘B’ for their appraisal at Central and State level respectively. Based on the
experience gained in implementation of the EIA Notification, 2006 and to further streamlining the
process, the EIA Notification, 2 Decision of State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority to
be taken by majority, (ii) Coal mine projects with lease area up to 150 ha will now be appraised by the
State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority as against earlier limit of less than 50 ha, (iii)
Biomass based power plants up to 15 MW have been exempted from EIA Notification, (iv) Inclusion of
breakwater and dredging (v) Information regarding grant of environmental clearance along with
stipulated conditions to be put in public domain for Category ‘A’ projects.
Biodiversity is the variability among living organisms and ecological complexes of which they are part,
including diversity within and between species and ecosystems. It has direct consumptive value in
food, agriculture, medicine and industry. Towards its conservation, a National Biodiversity Action
Plan, consistent with the National Environment Policy 2006 was released in November 2008. The Plan
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identifies major threats and constraints facing biodiversity and lists out action points for
addressing/conserving the same. The activities in the Plan include short, medium and long term
targets for the conservation of biodiversity. Since the goal of conservation of biodiversity can be
achieved only with the cooperation of all concerned through implementation of on-going schemes and
new initiatives, the MOEF has requested all concerned agencies to forward periodically progress of
activities implemented by them to facilitate regular monitoring of implementation of the Action Plan.
Given the importance and relevance of the issue, the year 2010 has been declared as the International
Year of Biodiversity. India proposes to organise the Conference of Parties of the Biodiversity
Convention in the year 2012.
The other similar measures taken include Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Trans
boundary Movement), Amendment to ‘Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, Draft
Plastics (Manufacture, Usage and Waste Management) Rules, 2009, Pollution Index for Major
Industrial Clusters, Revamped River Conservation Strategy - Setting up of NGRBA, etc,.
These initiatives have been taken with the objective of realising sustainable development goals. The
Ministry is also implementing 22 thematic plan Schemes. The state governments have also taken a
number of initiatives with the same objective in view. The MOEF inter alia sponsored a study on the
development and promotion of clean technology and abatement of pollution through preventive
strategies - waste minimisation and formulation of sustainable development strategies which, inter-
alia, included carrying capacity-based regional development planning, life cycle assessment, natural
resource accounting, etc., development & promotion of cleaner technologies. Specifically speaking,
under carrying capacity- based development planning of Damodar River Basin, a study was done
which made some general and some sector-specific specific recommendations. It recommended that a
Coordination Committee should be formed to oversee the implementation of recommendations and to
coordinate the activities between two states of Jharkhand and West Bengal. Major pollution problems
confined in the region should be given high priority. The upstream region faces acute shortage of
power. Some of the old and polluting power plants, whose efficiency is less than 30%, must be replaced
by super thermal power plants with pollution abatement equipment to meet the energy demand,
Bokaro Thermal plant may be either closed down or go for modernization, six coalfields in the area
generating huge amount of over burden(OB) dump- damaging the landscape as well as creating
environment pollution- should go for land reclamation of the OB dump on a large scale, industries like
coal washeries and coke oven plants should have combined effluent treatment plant, attempt should
be made to dispose of fly ash generated by thermal power plants and a feasibility study be undertaken
on using fly ash for backfilling underground mines, land reclamation of OB dumps and other purposes
like cement manufacture, for medium size and large-size industries, it should be a mandatory to obtain
ISO 14000, etc,.
The sector –wise recommendations included air, water, noise, land, fauna & flora and socio-economic
aspects. Specifically speaking, it was inter alia recommended that the conflict zone threatened by
mining activities should be avoided for any industrial expansion; measures may be taken to minimize
air pollution level in mining areas, all the polluting industries should be modernized or be fitted with
electrostatic precipitators and other suitable emission control equipment. These were identified major
industries causing air pollution are mining activities, coke plants, Bokaro Steel Plant and hard coke
plants, beehive coke oven and thermal power stations in the area, IISCO‘s Kulti refractories plant,
chemical and fertilizer plants, etc,.
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For water conservation, inter alia, it was recommended that all the industries like coal washeries
located at the river banks must be provided with settling tanks and other treatment facilities, some of
the thermal power plants, which are discharging raw water into the river, must have effluent treatment
facilities, all the major towns should have sewage treatment facilities, Independent pollution control
mechanisms for coal washery rejects and coke ovens is desirable, etc. Similarly, recommendations were
made for land and noise pollution. It was recommended that land degraded due to mine fire,
subsidence and OB dumps should be reclaimed and rehabilitated in massive scale in all the six
coalfields, municipal solid wastes should be properly disposed of in major towns, technological input
should be given for disposal of fly ash generated from thermal power plants, the industrial solid waste
generated by steel plants like DSP and BSP should be properly disposed off for protecting the ground
water from being contaminated in the region, implementation of agro-forestry, social forestry and
afforestation with medicinal plant cultivation programmes should be given an honest attempt, noise
attenuation system like provision of acoustic walls should be done at each of the industrial premises
(thermal power plants, steel plants, coal washeries, coke plants and open-cast mines), heavy earth moving
machineries in coal mines should be properly maintained to reduce the noise level, etc. The purpose of
covering these recommendations in brief is to give an idea of the responsibility and the scope of work that
engineers & technologists have to share and do respectively for ensuring the sustainable development.
Under the green construction policy, the use of timber has been stopped in civil construction and its
substitutes are being used in all construction works in order to have better environment. Also to have
better conservation of electric power, low powered CFL fittings are being used in all common places
and solar water heating system is used in hostels and office buildings at high attitudes. Though formal
education is the mandate of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), the MOEF has
been interacting with the MHRD, NCERT, departments of education of the state governments, etc., to
ensure that environmental components are adequately covered at the school levels by infusion into the
school curricula at various levels. Accordingly, the MOEF has taken many initiatives on environment
education including developing educational / teaching materials and aids in the formal education
sector; ensuring training and workforce development in environment education, promoting
environment education through existing educational/scientific/research institutions, promoting
environmental concepts in management and business development.
Though there are several courses on environmental sciences at present in the formal system, there are
no structured courses available outside the formal system for people who desire to learn about
environmental issues. The MoEF has also taken an initiative in this regard and it presently working out
a frame-work for environmental appreciation courses in consultation with IGNOU. Realising that the
industry managers and leaders need to be sensitized towards environmental issues and concepts of
environmental management so that they can play an important role in introducing environmentally
sound practices in their operations, the Ministry has taken an initiative to introduce/enhance
environmental concepts in the business/management education. A committee comprising
representatives from Management Institutions, AICTE, UGC, Industry and MoEF is already looking
into various aspects like course content and syllabi of the existing courses so that gaps could be
identified and suggestion could be given for enhancing/introducing the environmental content where
necessary (Source : MoEF). Apparently, the ministry has not taken similar initiatives for promoting
environmental concepts in engineering education and training. This is perhaps the grey area from the
point of view of policy initiatives of the ministry.
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Role of Engineers and Technologists in
Sustainable Development
Sustainable Development, especially since the United Nations Conference on Environment &
Development, at Rio de Janeiro, in 1992, has become an increasingly important theme around the
world, and increasingly a central theme for the engineering professionals around the world. With
infrastructure and engineering products and processes becoming increasingly complex, engineers
need to integrate consideration of whole-life environmental and social impacts, with the mainstream
and commercial aspects of their work. Wise use of natural resources, minimum negative impact and
maximum positive impact on people and the environment are the objectives. The sustainable
development concept requires all of us- engineers and citizens- to reflect much more widely than
before the impact of the infrastructure and products we produce on our own lives.
It is increasingly recognized that many of the practices and lifestyles of modern society, simply cannot
be sustained indefinitely. We are exceeding the capacity, of the planet to provide many of the resources
we use, and to accommodate our emissions. This problem of recognizing the need to live within
constraints and to ensure more fairness in access to limited resources lies at the heart of the concepts of
sustainability and sustainable development, which in essence is the process of moving human
activities to a pattern that can be sustained in perpetuity. It is an approach to environmental and
development issues that seek to reconcile human needs with the capacity of the planet to cope with the
consequences of human activities. It is useful to represent the constraints that make sustainable
development an imperative. Engineers & technologists will have to ensure that this happens by
playing their role very effectively, efficiently and dedicately.
As a matter of elaboration, engineers & technologists while playing their role for realising the
sustanaiable developmental goals will have to deal with the techno-centric concerns, which
encompass techno-economic systems, represent human skills and ingenuity the skills that engineers
must continue to deploy and the economic system within which we deploy them. Eco-centric concerns
represent the ability of the planet to sustain us both by providing material and energy resources and by
accommodating us and our emissions and wastes. Socio-centric concerns represent human
expectations and aspirations - the needs of human beings to live worthwhile lives, summed up by the
government’s interpretation of sustainable development as a better quality of life for everyone now,
and in the future.
Sustainability means ability and skills in engineers & technologists to deal with tackling all short,
medium and long-term constraints and realising the sustainable developmental goals. Technology
cannot be deployed as though it has no environmental or societal implications. Engineers must
therefore be key players in sustainable development, and have an obligation as citizens not just to act as
isolated technical experts. Achieving sustainability through sustainable development will require
some significant shifts in behaviour and consumption patterns particularly in engineers and
technologists who are responsible for making decisions about the use of material, energy and water
resources, the development of infrastructure, the design of new products and so on.
9
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November 29, 2010 ❑ New Delhi ❑ 27
One implication is that engineers must recognise and exercise their responsibility to society as a whole,
which may some times conflict with their responsibility to the immediate client or customer. Engineers
will still be called on to design and manage complex systems, or simple systems to meet complex sets of
demands. However, sustainable development redefines the contexts within which these skills must be
deployed. It is a new integrative principle, not a new set of tools, so that the concept cannot simply be
regarded as an add-on to existing engineering skills and educational programmes.
Engineers and technologists should consider the affects that there professional decisions will have on
the wider world by identifying the potential positive and negative impacts of their contemplated
actions and while maximizing the positive impacts, seek to minimize the negative impacts of their
decisions. The areas of consideration may include the environmental and social effects of raw material
extraction, which may arise for a product manufacturing plant or other point of use such as
construction, and also in the environmental effects of operating a product.
Since sustainable development approach is creative, innovative and broad, it does not follow a specific
set of rules as such. Engineers and technologists should strike a balance in their decision-making
between environmental, social and economic factors. They should look at various alternatives for
striking this balance with providing options and flexibility for making changes in the future. So there
should not be any rigidity in their decision making process. Any alternative that may be selected
should balance all factors concerning sustainability. They can play an important role in finding
alternatives for delivering economic, social and environmental success all at the same time by not
choosing products, processes or projects which have the potential of generating significant
environmental degradation, social disquiet, economic loss in the short or long term or consume public
funds inefficiently because all of these are characterized as unsustainable.
Engineers & technologists will have to ensure sustainable solutions to the existing issues and also
ensure sustainable solutions to the future problems that may arise. They have to ensure using of more
and more renewable or recyclable resources in creating new assets. Society ultimately decides through
markets what it wants which will satisfy their needs well.
So it is the society which is the main stakeholder and there are others as well in the list who decide what
is sustainable and what is not and engineers & technologists will have to play their role to enable these
stakeholders to take these sustainability decisions. So, reaching to these decisions require engagement
of all stakeholders to bring their different views, perceptions, knowledge and skills onto a common
platform for the challenge being addressed. Engineers & technologist both as citizens and
professionals have a role to play and will have to be involved actively in facilitating these decisions.
This discussion paper makes an attempt to place together the information on the issues involved,
national concerns and policies that are there and international concerns for sustainable development
and the contours in which engineers & technologists will have to play their role for realising the
sustainable development goals to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.
Conclusion
Sustainable development principles include economic environment, social governance,
efficient use of all resources, internalise environmental & social costs, maintain conditions for viable
free enterprise, fair distribution of costs and benefits, replace depletion of natural resources with other
forms of capita, responsible stewardship of resources & the environment, minimise waste &
environmental damage along the whole supply chain, prudence where impacts are unknown or
uncertain, protect critical natural capital, support principle of participation & subsidiary indecision-
making, Encourage free enterprise with incentives, transparency and no corruption through providing
stakeholders with access to information & accountability for decisions & actions. The role that
engineers and technologists have to play is to created an environment that is enabling, dynamic and
inspiring for the development of solutions to global problems in the fields of energy, environment and
current patterns of development, which are largely unsustainable.
Sustainable development has been recognized important in achieving the Millennium Development
Goals. The Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held during August 6-
September 4, 2002 at Johannesburg, South Africa recognized the importance of assisting developing
countries inter alia in implementing environmental commitments and multilateral environmental
agreements as a major goal of strengthened international environmental governance, requiring
capacity building, financial resources, technology transfer, information-sharing and more effective
review and monitoring systems. Under the Agenda 21 of the UN World Summit on Sustainable
Development, 1992, activities of engineers have been included in chapters on human settlements and
other specific aspects of sustainable development report.
As a part of national voluntary actions to address climate change related concerns, India released its
National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) on 30th June 2008. The Action Plan outlines our
strategy to adapt to climate change and enhance the ecological sustainability of our development path.
India has signed and ratified a number of key multilateral agreements conventions on environment
issues in recognition of the trans-boundary nature of several environmental problems, impact on
chemical industry and trade and is committed to complying with the obligations under these
agreements/conventions.
India is a fast growing economy with anticipated average GDP growth between 9-10 percent during
the coming decades. So is the case in the other developing countries, particularly China. Western world
has contributed significantly to the emissions of green house gases (GHG). Developing countries, if
they continue with the conventional way of working, cannot afford now increasing the emission of
green house gases any more. They have to look for sustainable way to their development needs. More
so, the entire eco system is threatened today. Many international conventions / agreements have been
signed and continue to be discussed for arriving at a consensus for action. No doubt, there is some
breathing time for the developing countries for dong what is required to be done for ensuring that the
future development process is sustainable. India has already taken many national policy initiatives,
there is still a long way to go for realising the goal of sustainable development.
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November 29, 2010 ❑ New Delhi ❑ 28
10
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Engineers and technologists have to play a major role in realising the goal. The areas to which they have
to contribute include the new green capacity additions, expansion of the existing capacities and in the
innovation of the conventional technologies, particularly in the power sector. India needs substantial
funds for new green technologies for capacity additions. So is the case with the other developing
countries. All this is required in the sectors namely, manufacturing, power generation & distribution,
mining, agriculture, irrigation, water, oil exploration and development. India needs to design and
develop these new green technologies, preferably renewable resources - based technologies, replace
the conventional technologies like coal-based thermal power, tap full potential of hydro power, bring
in technology for using hydrogen as a source of energy, harness huge thorium resources that India has
for generating nuclear power and so on. Renewable energy in India is a sector that is still undeveloped.
It has, in recent years, lagged far behind other developed countries in using renewable energy. This
sector holds a significant potential for India to realise its sustainable energy security. It needs to be
developed.
India needs to bring in sustainable aspects in the curricula of engineering education and training. It has
also to be an important component of our basic and higher technical education. The society as a whole
has to be brought in the net of sustainable development philosophy. Engineers and technologists will
have to play a role in this process also. Besides, there is a need for engineers & technologists to adopt a
code of others a morality which will ensure sustainability of their decisions and actions like that of
engineers of Australia.
Conference Papers
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November 29, 2010 ❑ New Delhi ❑ 33
Energy Efficiency Improvement in Steel Re-Rolling Mill
Sector in India - A Sustainable Development effort
— G. Mishra*
Abstract :
The Indian Steel Industry is on the threshold of growth beyond any doubt. However, it has to overcome
several challenges both domestic and international. India with the per capita steel consumption of around 50
Kg has a long way to go but there is no doubt that India is finally going to occupy the second top position in the
steel producing countries after China in the present decade. With the GDP growth between 7.5% - 8.5%,
there is no doubt about the domestic demand of steel especially in the Automobile, Engineering,
Infrastructure, sectors. The role of steel re-rolling mills under the SME category is found to be quite
important as it produces more than 60% of the requirements of long steel products in the country. Further,
the units are located in various clusters and they are disbursed in the different parts of the country which is
found to be very convenient for the consumers to have steel available at their doorstep. Challenges such as
Energy Security, Environment, Global Warming needs to be addressed simultaneously while focusing on the
increase in production level of the steel plants.
Keeping the importance of these sectors in view, Ministry of Steel, Government of India with part financial
support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP)/Global Environment Facility (GEF) took
up a project on the Improvement of Energy Efficiency in this sector and thereby bringing down the pollution
levels of different solid as well as gaseous products which are causing enormous pollution problems especially
to the workmen working in the factory. On a global perspective, reduction in energy consumption will bring
down carbon-dioxide emissions and thereby reduce Global Warming which is a big concern for humanity as a
whole.
Introduction :
Energy is one of the most important drivers of national economy and therefore of human well-
being. Quality adjusted life expectancy has increased in societies which are enjoying rising incomes
and energy use and that is a convincing indicator of this relationship. On the other hand, the energy
sector is responsible for by far the largest share of carbon-dioxide emissions. According to
International Energy Associations (IEA) global energy demand will grow by 55% by 2030. If climate
friendly technologies are not used, emissions will have gone up by 50% with consequent impact on
global temperature rise and climate change. India is the 6th largest energy consuming and 5th
largest Green House Gas (GHG) emission nation in the world. The Iron and Steel sector in India
consumes about 20% of total energy consumed by Industry and plays a significant role in Energy
Conservation.
*UNDP/GEF/Project (Steel), Ministry of Steel.
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If the steel sector wants to stay competitive, it must plan for a sustainable energy future. There are
three key dimensions of sustainable energy use. They are:
●Low carbon (EE) technologies including those using renewable sources (providing far more
energy security and clear environment).
●Energy Productivity (This is far better management of energy use and associated reduction in
the various processes, providing for more energy productivity)
●Distributed energy (Increasing sources of Energy supply, providing for both more
productivity and energy security).
India has around 1500 Rolling mills located in different parts of the country and they have more
specific characteristics as given below :
The characteristics of SRRM units are:
●Outdated technologies and practices
●Poor information base with low awareness levels
●Energy Efficiency (EE) Technologies developed so far are not in implementation in Steel Re-
Rolling Mill (SRRM) Sector.
●Lack of knowledge, expertise and experience to operate and manage high-end technologies
●Inadequate domestic and international linkages with industry, R&D institutions, consultants,
technology providers, domestic equipment manufactures and bilateral and multilateral
development agencies
●Low engineering and Research & Development base to absorb these technologies
●Inadequate skilled manpower.
Keeping the above in view, the aims and objectives of the project was derived as follows:-
●Reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions
●Technology up gradation
●Accelerated adoption and absorption of environmentally sustainable Energy Efficient (EE)
technologies.
●Removal of key barriers to Energy Efficiency measures in the sector
The project design has taken into consideration all related organizations that are associated with the
Re-rolling mills in one way or the other and they are termed as Project Stake-holders. The diagrams
showing all such Project Stake-holders are given in figure I.
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(Fig-1)
This project is supported by Global Environment Facility (GEF) U.S.A through UNDP and is under
implementation for the last 5 years. The project design broadly includes two components ie., 1)
Technical assistance 2) Implementation of technologies in 50 re-rolling mills (as Model unit).
1. Technical Assistance
This is a soft component of the Project which covers areas as given below :
●Benchmarking of Energy Efficient Technology Packages
●Strengthening institutional arrangements
●Information dissemination programme
●Enhancement of stakeholders capacity
●Third party financing mechanism (ESCO)
2. Implementation of Technologies in 50 Model Units
The Technology packages were i+dentified in the beginning of the Project after studying more-
or-less the entire spectrum of re-rolling mills in India and some of them in abroad and the list is
constantly updated with additions of new technologies being explored/developed.
DEM’s
Banks/FI
Industry Association
Govt Depts. /Agencies
National / International
Experts
Ministry of Steel
UNDP
PMC
ESCO
National Institution
Consultants
SRRM
Sector
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Accordingly, the packages are segregated into Low-end and High-end as shown below :
●
(Investment :Rs. 1.5-2.0 crore, Energy Saving : 20-25%)
i) High Efficiency Recuperator with improved furnace design
ii) Change of lump coal to coal producer gas as fuel
iii) Technology for use of pulverized coal as fuel
iv) Use of Bio-mass gas as fuel
v) Use of Coal Bed Methane (CBM)
●High-end Technologies
(Investment: Rs. 5.0-6.0 crore, Energy Saving: 30-40%)
i) Regenerative burner system
ii) Hot charging of Continuous Cast Billet
iii) Top and Bottom firing system in reheating furnace
iv) Oxy-fuel combustion system in reheating furnace
v) Walking hearth/Beam furnace
3. Ecotech Options in Rolling Mills
These options are related to upgrading the equipments in Rolling mills :
i) Crop Length Optimization
ii) Roller Guides
iii) Universal Spindle & Couplings
iv) Antifriction Roller Bearing
v) Installation of Y Roller table
vi) Installation of Drop Tilter
vii) Installation of Tilting Table
viii) Oval Repeater
ix) Computerized Roll Pass Design
x) Reactive Power Compensation
xi) Energy Efficient drives for Rolling Mills
The Re-rolling Mill in India varies in the capacity of 1 ton per hour to say 40 ton per hour. But has two
main production facilities ie. re-heating furnace & mills. As far as re-heating furnace is concerned, it
has been found that most of the furnaces is not properly designed, uses poor quality of refractories and
Low-end Technologies
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insulations, improper distribution of burners, non-existence of recuperators, complete absence of
instrumentation etc. In the above situations, the process of heating of Billets/Ingots is inefficient, low
productivity, high burning loss etc. While implementing the project, the Project Management Cell
(PMC) addressed these problems and suggested appropriate design of the furnace including
refractories, instrumentation etc.
Overall furnace design aspects:
It is seen from the practice in Re-rolling mills that many units are using Top-fired pusher type furnace
even for Blooms of cross sections above 150mm/150mm which are used for production of medium and
heavy products. As the practice is not followed anywhere else in the world because this is the most
inefficient method of heating such heavy blooms, causes not only loss of fuel but also heavy burning
loss. PMC therefore, recommends to use walking beam/walking hearth furnace/top and bottom fire
pusher hearth furnace.
The advantages of use of walking hearth furnace are as follows :
●Highly efficient
●Furnace length is smaller
●Furnace can be emptied by itself
●Higher furnace productivity
●Minimum scale loss
Hot Charging Technology
PMC also recommends use of hot charging of Billets directly to the re-heating furnace to save sensible
heat of billet and thereby reducing specific consumption of fuel. The advantages are as follows:-
●A substantial part of energy can be saved if the billets can be charged into the furnace in hot
condition.
●Billet Charged hot at around 650 - 800 0C directly into RHF from concast.
●Energy Saving potential 30-40 %
●Buffer Furnace to be used to take care of mill delays.
Use of Bio-mass gas
The use of Bio-mass gas for heating of billets to the rolling temperature of 1200-1250ºC was successfully
achieved for the first time in Asia, in one of the SRRM units in Pondicherry.
The use of Bio-mass Briquette through the gasifier is promoted under this project since the net CO 2
emission in this case is considered to be zero as per Inter Governmental panel on Climate change
(IPCC) guidelines. The advantages are as follows :
●Biomass Briquettes can be used in producer gas plant in place of coal with minor modifications.
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●
●Mixing with Jatropha residue for higher Calorific Value (CV).
●100% substitution of furnace oil.
●Net Zero CO2 Emission.
Energy Saving Opportunity in Mills :
In the rolling mills there are several opportunities of saving energy either directly by saving power
consumption or indirectly by saving performance factors. These are as follows:-
●Higher Mill Yield.
●Higher Mill Utilization.
●Lesser Specific Power Consumption.
●Better Product Quality.
●Higher Equipment Efficiency.
●Lesser Breakdown.
●Lesser Mill Delay.
Case Studies :
The Project team has implemented so far various technologies in 21 units in the Country. The actual
results obtained with intervention of EE Technologies over the Baseline scenario is given in table no.1
for typically 4 SRRM units. It could be noted that :
●Furnace operating on oil, there has been savings of 20-25%
●With the use of pulverized coal, saving is reported as 15% to 100%. In case of use of Bio-mass,
the decrease in specific fuel consumption from furnace oil is reported as 20%.
●Burning loss : 1-1.5%
●Power reduction varies from 5-15%.
Conclusion:
The UNDP/GEF (Steel) project on Re-rolling sector has established that there is a definite saving in
specific consumption of fuel & power, reduction in burning loss, improvement in mill utilization and
yield of products and thereby there is tremendous financial benefit to the industry. Correspondingly,
it has also brought down the pollution level of the unit. The Project has an impact on saving in national
resources and reduction in CO emissions thereby reduction in Global Warming. The Project team of 2
Engineers place on record the valuable guidance and support of Ministry of Steel, Government of India
and UNDP, New Delhi to make this Project a success.
All Benefits of gaseous fuel.
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Parameters Units Baseline
Data
Post-
commissioning
Data
Remarks
Specific Fuel
ConsumptionLpt 45.3 35.19 22.31% Reduction
Specific Power
ConsumptionKWh/t 87 80 8.00% Reduction
Burning Loss % 2.4 1.15 52.08% reduction
End Cuts % 2.5 2.2 12% Reduction
Yield % 93 95.5 2.7% Increase
Mill Utilization % 66 76.36 16.00% Increase
Parameters Units Baseline
data
Post-
commissioning
data
Remarks
Specific Fuel
ConsumptionLpt 71.76 53.54 25.39 % Reduction
Specific Power
ConsumptionKWh/t 52.29 46.01 12.01% Reduction
Burning Loss % 1.9 0.92 51.57 % reduction
Yield % 94.57 95.65 1.14 % Increase
Mill Utilization % 64.66 85.46 32.17 % Increase
Parameters Units Baseline
data
Post-
commissioning
data
Remarks
Specific Fuel
Consumptionkgpt 67 57.03 14.88 % Reduction
Specific Power
ConsumptionKWh/t 85 78.62 7.52 % Reduction
Burning Loss % 2.8 0.69 75.3 % reduction
Yield % 93.85 97.22 3.6 % Increase
Mill Utilization % 45.2 82.18 81.8 % Increase
Parameters Units Baseline
data
Post-
commissioning
data
Remarks
Productivity t/h 10.5 15.3 45.7% Increase
Specific Fuel Kg/t 50.4 ------ 50.4*9,800kcal/kg
=49,4,361 kcal
Consumption Kg/t ----- 106.4 106.4*3760 kcal/kg
a)Furnace oil =400,000 kcal
b)Biomass
briquette- 19% decrease in
Specific Fuel
Consumption
- 100% reduction
in G.H.G. emission
due to Biomass
Specific Power
ConsumptionkWh/t 113.0 111.0 1.76% reduction
Yield % 94.5 96.0 1.5% Increase
SRRM UNIT - 2
SRRM UNIT - 3
SRRM UNIT - 4
CASE STUDYSRRM UNIT - I
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Guiding Principles For Engineers For Achieving
Sustainable Development
— Srinivas Mantha, FIE, FIETE*
Abstract
Sustainable Development, especially since the United Nations Conference on Environment & Development, at
Rio de Janeiro, in 1992, has become an increasingly important theme around the world, and increasingly a central
theme for the engineering professionals around the world. With infrastructure and engineering products and
processes becoming increasingly complex, engineers need to integrate consideration of whole-life environmental
and social impacts, with the mainstream and commercial aspects of their work. Wise use of natural resources,
minimum negative impact and maximum positive impact on people and the environment are the objectives. The
sustainable development concept requires all of us, as engineers and citizens, to reflect much more widely than
before, the impact of the infrastructure and products we produce, on our own lives. This paper explains
sustainable development and the guiding principles which engineers need to practice to achieve sustainable
development.
I. Introduction
It is increasingly recognized that many of the practices and lifestyles of modern society, simply cannot
be sustained indefinitely [1]. We are exceeding the capacity, of the planet to provide many of the
resources we use, and to accommodate our emissions. This problem of recognizing the need to live
within constraints and to ensure more fairness in access to limited resources, lies within the heart of the
concepts of sustainability and sustainable development.
Sustainable development is the process of moving human activities to a pattern that can be sustained in
perpetuity. It is an approach to environmental and development issues that seek to reconcile human
needs with the capacity of the planet to cope with the consequences of human activities [2,3]. It is useful
to represent the constraints that make sustainable development an imperative in the form of a simple
Venn diagram (Figure 1).
Techno-centric concerns, which encompass techno-economic systems, represent human skills and
ingenuity the skills that engineers must continue to deploy and the economic system within which we
deploy them. Eco-centric concerns represent the ability of the planet to sustain us both by providing
material and energy resources and by accommodating us and our emissions and wastes. Socio-centric
concerns represent human expectations and aspirations - the needs of human beings to live
worthwhile lives, summed up by the Government's interpretation of sustainable development as a
better quality of life for everyone now, and in the future. Sustainability can be thought of as the region
in the centre of Figure 1, where all three sets of constraints are satisfied, while sustainable development
is the process of moving to that region. Alternatively, sustainable development can be thought of as the
Professor, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Sreenidhi Institute of Science and Technology, [Autonomous College of JNTUH, Hyderabad], Yamnampet, Ghatkesar, Hyderabad. 501 301 A.P. INDIA. e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +91-8415-200596, Fax: +91-40-27640394
th8 National Conference on Sustainable Development- Role of Engineers and Technologists
November 29, 2010 ❑ New Delhi ❑ 41
process of moving the circles together so that they almost completely overlap but with the societal and
techno-economic circles sitting within the environmental circle, at which point all human activity is
sustainable.
Figure 1: Three dimensions of Sustainability
Although Figure 1, is simplistic, it reminds us that sustainability means living within all three types of
long-term constraints. Technology cannot be deployed as though it has no environmental or societal
implications. Engineers must therefore be key players in sustainable development, and have an
obligation as citizens not just to act as isolated technical experts. Achieving sustainability through
sustainable development will require some significant shifts in behaviour and consumption patterns
[1,4]. Often it will be and should be the engineers who are responsible for making decisions about the
use of material, energy and water resources, the development of infrastructure, the design of new
products and so on. One implication is that engineers must recognize and exercise their responsibility
to society as a whole, which may sometimes conflict with their responsibility to the immediate client or
customer. Engineers will still be called on to design and manage complex systems, or simple systems
to meet complex sets of demands [5]. However, sustainable development redefines the contexts within
which these skills must be deployed. It is a new integrative principle [6], not a new set of tools, so that
the concept cannot simply be regarded as an add-on to existing engineering skills and educational
programmes.
II. Principles For Engineers For Achieving Sustainable Development
2.1 Look beyond your own Locality and the Immediate Future:
In considering the effects of our decisions on the wider world, we need to: identify the potential
positive and negative impacts of our proposed actions, not only locally but also outside our immediate
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local environment, organization and context, and into the future; seek to minimize the negative,
while maximizing the positive. Examples, where these considerations may apply include the
environmental and social effects of raw material extraction, which may arise for a product
manufacturing plant or other point of use such as construction, and also in the environmental effects
of operating a product.
2.2 Innovate and be Creative:
A sustainable development approach is creative, innovative and broad, and thus does not mean
following a specific set of rules. It requires an approach to decision-making that strikes a balance
between environmental, social and economic factors. This means that: we are not seeking a path for a
single correct solution; alternative solutions can be identified that fit with the sustainable development
approach. It is very difficult to predict with certainty how these alternatives will work into the future,
so we need to provide options and flexibility for change and other action in the future. There are no
guarantees that our solutions will be truly sustainable, we therefore, must do our best with the skills,
knowledge and resources we have at our disposal.
2.3 Seek a Balanced Solution:
Seek approaches to deliver economic, social and environmental success all at the same time, and so
seek to avoid any product, process or project that yields an unbalanced solution. This could be one that
generates significant environmental harm, that generates social disquiet or that generates economic
loss or spends public funds inefficiently, all of which are characterized as un-sustainable.
In considering options and in our decision-making, we need to not just compromise between the
negative and positive impacts on economic, social and environmental factors in the challenge we are
addressing, but seek gains in all the three aspects.
In our approach, in seeking a sustainable solution, we have to ensure, as far as possible, that renewable
or recyclable resources are used. Wherever new permanent assets are being created, ensure renewable
resources are used and focus on the future. Recognize that the environment is an ecological system,
assess the carrying capacity of the environment and the nature's capacity for regeneration. In other
words, rather than depleting nature's capital assets, live off the interest.
We have to recognize that sustainable solutions are competitive will be promoted and propagated by
the market. We have to recognize that enhancement of social capital, is a very important aspect of
sustainable development.
2.4. Seek Engagement from all Stakeholders:
Society will ultimately say what is needed or wanted for any development, sustainable or otherwise.
So, reaching decisions in this area require: engagement of all stakeholders to bring their different
views, perceptions, knowledge and skills onto a common platform, for the challenge being addressed.
Engineers, as citizens, have to be involved actively in these decision-making processes, as well as, in
their role as professional engineers.
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2.5. Make sure you know the Needs and Wants:
Effective decision-making in engineering for sustainable development is only possible when we know
what is needed or wanted. The framework of the problem, issue or challenge to be tackled, should be
identified as clearly as possible, including identifying any legal requirements and constraints. It is
important to recognize that many engineering challenges are driven by what people want to have,
such as better motor cars, rather than just what they need as a means of transport. We need to: ensure
clarity of the considerations, criteria and values that different stakeholders wish to have reflected in the
framing of whatever is being tackled; identify the legal requirements and constraints upon the
problem, issue or challenge to be tackled and ensure they are reflected; recognize the distinctions
between a need and a want, and between an actual and a perceived need, so that the full spectrum of
problems, issues and challenges are known; identify interdependences between economic, social and
environmental factors in these needs and wants; decide on the system boundary, which should be
sufficiently large to comfortably encompass the foreseeable influences on sustainability, but not so
large that the detail of the current challenge is lost; communicate the engineering opportunities and
constraints to the team and stakeholders, and explain any value judgements about engineering aspects
that are included in the framing of requirements.
2.6 Plan and Manage Effectively:
In planning our engineering projects, we need to: express our aims in sufficiently open-ended terms so
as not to preclude the potential for innovative solutions as the project develops; assemble and critically
review historical evidence and forward projections; weigh the evidence for relevance and importance
to the plan; encourage creative out-of-the-box thinking; define the desired outcome in terms of an
appropriate balance between the economic, environmental and social factors identified earlier;
recognize that ideas that may not be immediately practicable can stimulate research for the next project
and also that they need to be properly recorded, if they are to be acted upon; ensure that the effort and
resources devoted to avoiding un-sustainable development remains in proportion to the anticipated
effect; keep the plan straightforward, so that others can understand it.
2.7 Give Sustainability the Benefit of any Doubt:
This should be the approach in our thinking. This encapsulates the precautionary principle and to be
implemented, forces us to address the future impacts of today's decisions. So, we need to: demonstrate
that improved sustainability will result from the actions proposed; only discount the disadvantages
and benefits of future events or impacts when they are very uncertain; only discount if we do not have a
full scientific understanding of the issue or challenge being considered; recognize that sustainable
development depends on investing for tomorrow and for today.
2.8 If Polluters must Pollute– then they must Pay as well:
The environment belongs to all of us and it's free use, for absorption of our wastes or its unfettered
exploitation are not sustainable. The adverse, polluting effects of any decision should, in some way, be
paid for or compensated for by the proponent of an engineering project, scheme or development and
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they should not be transferred to others without fair compensation. In addition, it may be necessary to
formalize pollution prevention legislation, if a project is to be sustainable.
The challenge that this Principle thus presents is how to define the costs or compensation that is
appropriate. To determine how much compensatory work should be done, we need to work with costs
that fully reflect the social and environmental implications of a decision; the tools to undertake such
calculations are now available and being developed.
However, no pollution that is not allowed for by law should be considered for inclusion in the problem,
issue or challenge to be tackled. We thus need to: avoid incurring the costs in the first place by
eliminating or minimizing adverse environmental effects; practice a responsible attitude to the
environment; broaden our perspective beyond current legislative requirements; scan the horizon for
emerging measures and plan accordingly; fulfill any Corporate Social Responsibility Policies that
apply and promote their development if they do not exist; bring social and environmental implications
into options appraisal so that a balanced decision can be made.
2.9 Adopt a Holistic, Cradle-to-Grave Approach:
To deliver this approach, the effects on sustainability throughout the whole life-cycle of a product or
infrastructure scheme should be systematically evaluated. We need to: use the whole-life-cycle tools to
improve our decision-making; whole-life-cycle environmental assessment, whole-life-cycle costing,
and assessment of the social impacts over the whole life time of the engineering challenge we are
addressing are to be taken into account; impacts of our decisions on future generations are considered
alongside the present; handle uncertainty by keeping open as many future options as practicable;
ensure that the design is maintainable and that the materials are adaptable for re-use or recycling; think
in the fourth dimension and ensure that the design life is appropriate to the product or project and its
context; explicitly address the end-of-life options, and avoid wherever possible leaving to our
successors any problems of disposal; ensure non-renewable resources are used, wherever possible, for
the creation of new permanent assets.
2.10 Do things Right, having decided on the Right thing to Do:
Adhering to the Principles explained so far should ensure that right decisions from a sustainability
point of view have been made in relation to the circumstances that apply. We must then pay full regard
to doing things right, again from a sustainability point of view. To deliver this Principle, we need to:
retain the sustainability focus on the intended outcome right through the implementation of the
solution; recognize that the intermediate processes of construction, manufacture, production and
transport can be resource-intensive and need to be managed with an active sustainability orientation;
ensure as far as practicable, that the legal requirements and constraints on the problem, issue or
challenge to be tackled are complied with; aim to critically appraise current good practices and be
inherently sceptical of unsupported judgements, in order to decide on appropriate actions to be taken;
keep abreast of technical and market developments, to check the assumptions and predictions
embedded in the design.
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2.11 Beware Cost Cutting that masquerades as Value Engineering:
We are unlikely to arrive at our best decisions first time, every time. So we need to challenge ourselves
and refine those decisions, whilst remaining focused on the intended outcome. We therefore need to:
avoid sacrificing the sustainability desires incorporated in a design when seeking cost reductions;
include any adverse effects on sustainability in the value equation and value engineering; be self-
critical of our own fundamental assumptions and values; be prepared to challenge our and others'
existing assumptions; re-examine first preferences and submit them to re-appraisal; use intelligence
from the marketplace to monitor assumptions on user behaviour included in the design; check that the
achievement of sustainable development objectives is not being subverted by unintended
consequences of design changes and/or user behaviour; finally, if satisfied with the balance struck
between the economic, environmental and social impacts of the proposed solution, congratulate
yourself, if not change it.
2.12 Practice what you Preach:
One's own everyday practices should not be at variance with what is being asked of others. You must
not expect more of others, than you do of yourself. Be prepared to be accountable for your design and
engineering, and uphold by example the beliefs it reflects. Change yourself before you seek to change
others.
III. Conclusion
In conclusion, individual practicing engineers have a duty to become and remain competent to deliver
the concept and practice of sustainable development in their day-to-day work. There is a need to
inspire every engineer to make a difference to the world through sustainable development based upon
wise practice of engineering. The engineers may seek out courses and other development support to
achieve this objective. Universities in particular, as well, have a responsibility to deliver to the world,
qualified engineers who understand sustainable development and can deliver significantly more-
sustainable solutions for society. Engineering for Sustainable Development will not happen on its own
volition and it will need action by everyone involved.
References
[1] Andres R. Edwards, The Sustainability Revolution: Portrait of a Paradigm Shift, New Society
Publishers, 2005.
[2] Peter P. Rogers, Kazi F. Jalal, and John A. Boyd, An Introduction to Sustainable Development,
Earthscan Publications Ltd., 2007.
[3] Susan Baker, Sustainable Development, Routledge, New Edition, 2006.
[4] John Blewitt, Understanding Sustainable Development, Earthscan Publications Ltd., 2008.
[5] Bill Wallace, Becoming Part of the Solution: The Engineer's Guide to Sustainable Development,
American Council for Engineering Companies, 2005.
[6] Martin A. A. Abraham, Sustainability Science and Engineering, Volume 1: Defining Principles,
edited book, Elsevier Science, 2006.
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Sustainable Development – Role of Engineering Managers
and Technologists
— Y P Chawla*
Abstract:
Vedas -a bank of knowledge, with hymns collected in between 1000 and 500 BC describe the dynamics of five
elements (paunch tatwa): Earth, Sky, Wind, Water, and Fire (Sun). Vedas convey sun being the nourisher, earth
the Goddess -feeding everyone., Water providing remedies, Air a source of living, Sky an universal umbrella All
the entities in the universe are dependent upon these five elements. In the Atharvaveda, the earth is described in
one hymn of 63 verses. This famous hymn called as Bhumisukta or Prithivisukta indicates the environmental
consciousness of Vedic seers. Modern society, proud of its technological advancements, is reluctantly accepting
the service of nature, with Ecological Economics - a new emerging trans-disciplinary science, recognizing the
service of nature for the sustainability of human being vis-à-vis all Biotic and Abiotic components. Modern
environmentalists discuss sound or noise pollution. Yajurveda depicts a relation between ETHER ‘AKASHA’
and sound, giving an interesting advice to the mankind of not to destroy anything of the sky and not to pollute the
sky avoiding destruction of anything of Antariksha. We need to blend the Technology with our earlier
mythological beliefs. The unity in diversity is the message of Vedic physical and metaphysical sciences.
India, like any other country, has the self-determination and sovereignty, to decide on the Economic Policies.
Once these Policies are framed, the Role of Technocrats, Engineering Managers, Industry, and Business &
Society Starts. 21st century started with a Key aim of “Sustainable Development,” embraced by the international
community as back as 1992. Then in 2007 Climate Change became the buzzword and now in 2010 the
Biodiversity - another key environmental concern has emerged covering biodiversity -the diversity of species,
variety of ecosystems, and variability of genes , which now occupies a similar position in the public debate as
Climate Change did in 2007.
Sustainable Development (SD) means using resources no faster than they can regenerate themselves and
releasing Pollutants to no greater extent than Natural Resources can assimilate them and also covers Sustainable
Consumption involving not merely technological progress, but also cultural patterns of individual behavior and
values of the society at large. The SD focuses around three pillars with a Vision of 2050 & setting a new agenda for
business; i) Green Economy :ii) a transformation to address climate change and multiple crises; and iii)Water -
the new challenge for the 21st century.
Industry is one of the biggest Contributors to GDP; the objective of SD’s framework is in shaping the production
and consumption & at the same time encouraging Technological Innovation in Industry for today’s knowledge
based Society, achieving environmental compatibility in lifestyles and economies thus ultimately the Business.
Sustainability thus has a strategic aim of optimizing the interactions between nature, society, and the economy,
in accordance with the ecological criteria, combining the political stability, sound macroeconomic policies, and
social cohesion.
*Head, Energy Sector, Apollo Tyres.
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The Challenge to the Role of a Technologist, Engineering Manager is to develop Technology or a Product that is
required for Sustainable Development, with an aim on promoting Inclusive Growth through its Business
Process.
Tags : Sustainable. Inclusive Growth, Biodiversity, Technologist, Engineering Manager
The Sustainable Development Indicators have started playing its role & getting reflected in
Corporate Decision-making by the use of Renewable Natural Resources and changing technological
Operations to reduce such use - even in the industries not highly regulated with not having much
direct impact on biodiversity. In fact, now the Industry is considering Biodiversity as an opportunity
rather than a challenge or a threat.
As a country India could reduce the share of its population living under the extreme poverty line,
and is now broadening its approach towards SD, promoting inclusive growth by bringing in
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and like schemes.
Global change is creating enormous challenges for the humanity. The world’s population is expected
to grow from nearly 6 billion today to 8.5 billion by the year 2025. Global energy requirements will
continue to increase. India is experiencing a rapid Economic Growth that will also add to modern
society’s environmental problems, including air and water pollution and waste problems, to wider
areas of the World –a Global Village of today. India has bigger challenge to meet the sanitation issues of
a vast population .The industrialized world will have to accept special responsibility-not only because
of their past ecological sins, but also because of level of their present technological know-how as well as
Financial Resources.
It is thus a Technologist irrespective of the Country that takes an important role in the SD, leading
to Inclusive Growth and effect on Biodiversity.
Strategies and Alignments for competing in the Future have changed for the Industry based on
Environment friendly technologies.
Role Profile of Technologist & the Engineer / Engineer Manager en-compasses a very wide field. A
restricted role has been depicted here for giving a flavour of the Role of Technologist and Engineers. A
few of the areas are:
Energy use
●Improve access to all, a reliable, affordable, economically viable, socially acceptable and
environmentally sound energy services , recognize that energy services have positive impacts
on poverty eradication and the improvement of standards of living thus taking care of
Integrated Growth.
●Develop and disseminate alternative energy technologies with the aim of giving a greater share
of the energy mix to renewable energy and, with a sense of urgency, substantially increase the
global share of renewable energy sources for SD.
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●
energy / Energy conservation technologies & Accelerate the development, for dissemination
and deployment.
●Combine a range of energy technologies, including advanced and cleaner fossil fuel
technologies, to meet the growing need for energy services.
This will help reduce emissions of climate-damaging greenhouse gases. Simply to stabilize
atmospheric greenhouse-gas concentrations achieving this goal involves focusing on improved
thermal insulation in buildings, on the use of heat/power cogeneration, and on efficient support for
the use of renewable energies.
Close Substance Cycles. Micro-systems and Control technologies are providing new opportunities
to design environmentally friendly production processes.
Water: Integrated Environmental Technologies in Water Filtering and Wastewater-treatment have
helped enhanced air and water quality with optimal use of Energy & Materials with lesser wastes. This
requires a necessary framework with the Closed Substance Cycle and Waste Management Act
&Instruments like eco-audits, tohelp identify the saving potentials from environmental protection
investments, also promote development of such “clean” technologies.
Environmentally Compatible Mobility Environmentally compatible
traffic concepts are natural-gas engines, electric cars, hydrogen engines,
and fuel-cell engines can all play a role in eliminating motor-vehicle
emissions. Tele-matics can enable traffic to move
more efficiently. Information and communication
technologies can eliminate the need for physical
transports in some areas, and computerized
logistics in goods transports can reduce total
transport distances.
Bio-Technology is expected to bring important advances in medical
diagnosis and therapy, in solving food problems, in energy saving, in
environmentally compatible industrial and agricultural production,
and in specially targeted environmental protection projects.
Genetically altered microorganisms can break down a wide range of
pollutants by being used, for example, in
bio-filters and wastewater-treatment
facilities, and in the clean-up of polluted
sites. Genetically modified organisms can
also alleviate environmental burdens by
reducing the need for pesticides,
fertilizers, and medications.
Technologists, Engineers & Policy Makers alike face the challenge of
recognizing interrelationships and interactions between Ecological,
Diversify energy supply by developing advanced, cleaner, more efficient and cost-effective
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Economic, and Social factors and taking account of these factors when seeking solution strategies. To
meet this challenge, decision-makers require interdisciplinary techno-approaches and strategies that
cut across various sectors. They have to develop new environment-friendly technologies that facilitate
low carbon growth, and for the public to become aware of such technologies that can contribute
towards effective adaptation to climate risks and provide a momentum to the solution-finding process
for climate change.
Sustainable Development Areas
(This paper covers SD partially, being one
of the Papers of the Seminar on the Vast
Subject with great depth). SD provides
Chal lenges , t ransformat ion and
opportunities for the business houses. But the
growing demand resources like fossil fuels, water,
and so on, with high population growth, could
lead to resource insecurity and an ecosystem
collapse. There is a need to develop pathways that
can quantify market potential and exploit the
available opportunities.
Social & Economic This paper mainly focuses on limited areas of Energy, Water, Land, Climate Change.
●Industry
●Poverty ●Health
●SCP:- Sustainable Consumption & Production Patterns ●Sustainable Tourism
●Trade ●Human Settlements
Natural Resources Management
●Agriculture ●Biodiversity ●Oceans & Seas ●Atmosphere ●Energy
●Desertification ●Forests ●Sanitation ●Climate Change ●Transport
& Drought ●Land ●Water/ ●Disaster
●Rural ●Mountains Freshwater Reduction &
Development Management
●Chemicals
●Toxic Chemicals
●Waste -Hazardous / Waste (Radioactive)
●Waste -Solid
Regional Dimensions on Sustainable development of Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD), it
may be noted that, by the year 2025, 83 per cent of the expected global population of 8.5 billion will be
living in developing countries & Indian population is growing faster than its GDP & making much of
●Demographics
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Global Population increase and the capacity of available resources and technologies to satisfy the
demands of this growing population for food and other agricultural commodities remains uncertain.
Agriculture Technologists and Engineers has the challenge to meet increasing production on land
already in use and by avoiding further encroachment on land that is only marginally suitable for
cultivation.
Technologists & Engineers in Industry play a critical role in innovations and R & D - crucial for the
economic and Social Development, & Inclusive Growth of any country, as well as in the development,
diffusion and transfer of environmentally sound technologies and management techniques, which
constitute a key element of SD, keeping our Biodiversity intact.
There is a mutually reinforcing relationship between Social and industrial development, and
industrialization has the potential to promote, directly and indirectly, a variety of social objectives such
as employment creation, poverty eradication, gender equality, labour standards, and greater access to
education and health care. In this regard, the overriding policy challenge is to promote the positive
impacts while limiting or eliminating the negative impacts of industrial activities on social
development.
Industry: More than half of world’s most innovative
companies are in Asia, Europe
There was a time when most of the top
innovative companies were Americans,
but that U.S. dominance no longer exists
today. According to a survey done by
James Andrew, Senior Partner and Head
of the global innovation practice at Boston Consulting Group, more than half of the
companies in this year’s most innovative companies list came from Asia and
Europe.
Report published in Bloomberg Business Week, 80 percent of the respondents were opine that to
benefit from the economic recovery, innovation will be a key part of their strategy. While 72 percent of
the companies consider innovation as a “top three” strategic priority, 61 percent of them are planning
to increase their investment on innovation. Top 50 innovative companies included, 15 Asian
companies found their place, out of which, four were there in the top 10 companies.
The survey showed that in the year 2007 Tata Group (17th) established the Tata Group Innovation
Forum, a panel of the company’s senior executives and selected CEOs of its independently run
businesses. The purpose behind setting up the panel was to inspire its employees to be more
innovative.
A similar move came from Honda Motor (26th), when it promoted its former head of research and
development to the CEO spot last year. Samsung Electronics also took a vital step toward innovation
by restating innovation’s priority in Vision 2020.
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Indian capable Technocrats are behind Innovations, with the agenda set by the
companies. Indian Corporate is required to come forward to convert the Indian
Technocrat’s capability to an asset to help India in SD & Inclusive Growth, helping Indian
Home maker to a decision maker of intelligently choosing their Legislative Member to
carry them forward.
Accelerating Sustainable Development to reach the have nots – The key challenges:
- Role of Technologists, Engineers in the new development paradigm.
- Building institutions for effective climate governance.
- From sustainable livelihoods to sustainable development.
- Sustaining Business in a climate constrained world.
- In pursuit of sustainable development: the place for ethics, equity, and social justice.
- Mitigating emissions for climate stabilization: Policies, Consumption, and Lifestyles.
- Role of India as emerging economy in fostering climate cooperation.
Conclude: Stakeholders to act:
Political Need for government action to reduce negative subsidies, introduce strong legislations and
offer incentives.
Government policies are required to be designed for maximizing the positive impact of Industrial
activities on Economic, Social Development & on inclusive Growth, minimizing the negative impact
on the environment by Manufacturing, Production and Consumption. To this end, Government is
required review the regulatory policies and systems of economic incentives and disincentives and
undertakes other actions such as capacity-building, environmental data collection for enforcement to
support the environmental protection efforts of industry and civil society. Government should
encourage the wider dispersion and implementation of industry’s voluntary initiatives and
agreements and sharing of best practices.
Technological (Technologists & Engineering Managers) Improving
efficiency by investing in R&D and emphasis on green technologies that
can emphasize the importance & be a game changers in the field of energy
efficiency.
Similarly the consumption of water in several industries being higher, the
industries should move towards water-use efficiency, use of innovative
technologies, and taking appropriate measures for water conservation
engaging different stakeholders such as societies, NGOs, government,
and industries in a dialogue for efficient water management which is vital
for sustainable water use.
Economic & Business Need for internalizing cost, reducing externalities, risk-sharing amongst
various stakeholders.
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Social Increasing public awareness via multimedia, making efforts to alter consumption patterns and
lifestyles, empowering women and youth.
Society Consumption pattern is required to be tailored to leave a smaller footprint, travelling for
discussions vs. Video / Tele-conferencing. Setting up Small interventions that can reduce energy
consumption in a big way.
And, finally there is a for an integration of these efforts with a focus on
convergence of development, environment, economics & a need for ethically,
equitably and environmental responsible
policies to promote a new paradigm in
development.
Initiatives to provide basic necessities in a
sustainable manner to all so as to also enable people to take their
destiny into their own hands & be decision makers rather than only
Home makers, whereby they do not need to depend on others for the
supply of electricity, water. And correct the world of distorted
priorities. . The current trends observed worldwide in unsustainable
use of natural resources and the widespread damage and degradation
of fragile ecosystems are of serious concern. Yet, there are in evidence
many successful examples at the level of sub-regions, states and
provinces, towns, cities and villages where local communities have created solutions and set in motion
initiatives, which provide hope and examples worthy of emulation. Why is it then that, while the
world has found in several cases with such inspiring models of Sustainable Development
& Inclusive Growth , globally (more so in India )there remains a wall of resistance and a
huge volume of inertia that limits the acceptance of good solutions?
Fallout:
References:
●Conclave of Thought Leaders: The Future of Sustainable Development New York 11-12 May
2009 ; DSDS2010 5-7 Feb 2010.
●Rigveda; Yajurveda; Samaveda; Atharvaveda & Cartoons.
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Sustainable Development - Role of Engineers& Technologists
— N.K. Chakraborty*
The Principal theme of the discussion/seminar is Sustainable Development-Role of Engineering &
Technologists, which is being widely in debate of the Global Forums in the context of dangerous life
threatening climate change & due to increasingly competitive global economy, science, technology,
innovation capacity building must be seen as vital instrument for survival. In today's rapidly changing
global economy, the critical economic development depends also how we using up life fossil fuel (coal,
petrol) to give momentum on economic development of Indian country.
For the sustainability the primary goals before mankind is Science Technology & innovative capacity
to channelize them on following direction.
● Reducing poverty & acting the Millennium Development Goals (MGD's)
— Science and technology to local people; to improve health-care delivery, access to clear water,
access to affordable energy and so on. Local people/community must be given active
participation in the technology development process & not merely passive recipients of
technology development for them.
● Adding value to natural resource, exports
— What are the successful strategies that countries and companies can pursue to add value in the
use of natural resources?
— Resource exploitation to be customer base & supply chain oriented.
— Public private partnership (PPP) & techno research institute work with domestic firm to the
find & adopt foreign technologies.
● Upgrading Technologies and capturing the later comers advantage
— Supply development percentage
— To day developing countries are late comers to adopt fast technical advancement.
● The Role of Research & Development (R&D)
— The vast majority of technologies required to reduce poverty, add value to natural resources &
upgrading the technological proficiency of local industry have already been intended. But
developing countries are not widely using there technologies. In fact, developing countries are
technology deficient and are dependent on the west.
*Director (Planning), Delhi Development Authority.
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Scientific & Technological Advancement
At the outset, it has been mentioned that due to dangerous "climate change" the world is desperately
concerned to mitigate the consequences of its impact. Therefore following specific issues needs to be
studied for capacity building:
The rapid growth of urbanization is another cause of concerned for climate change. On one hand, we
are reducing rural land, agricultural land forest, hills and hillocks for new habitations on other hand
we are using Petrol, diesel, gas, minerals, water for modes of transport, electricity, habitat items,
machine tools etc. The emission of carbon dioxide heating up global climate has direct impact on
climate change, environmental & on ecological system. We are for our livelihood using natural things
for both renewable energy & non-renewable energy. Similarly, solar energy we are using for
renewable purpose for electricity, solar, battery change, Solar Car vehicle etc. This natural gas is also
renewable energy.
The situation calls for drastic revolution in our use of energy resources. Alternative source like solar
energy, wind energy etc. must be brought into use increasingly by technologies innovation. Eco-
friendly CNG, driven car buzz are achievement of Engineering Technology. In Tokyo motor show
displayed hybrid concept car, the hybrid car, with a 1.6 litre petrol engine and an electric motor, will
form the basis of a model. As the batteries start to run out of charge the petrol engine cuts into serve as a
generator.
We have many environmentally sensitive areas mining industry has been disregarding environmental
safeguards in their operations while industrialization is must for economic growth, wealth creation for
the wellbeing of the people. Yet today environmental pollution has become so vast that it is threatening
human cell life on the planet. This poses a serious dilemma calling for creative solutions. Corporate
social responsibility today implies a positive & dynamic management of environmental hazards and
pollution. This paradoxical situation is illustrated by the South Korea's Posco Groups initiative to set
up a giant steelmaking plant in Orissa. On the one hand steel production envisaged by this project
would have generated considerable of revenue and employment. As such environmental clearance
was given by the Govt. of India. And subsequently it was sought to be withdrawn also. So while
international standards of, today, 'clean development mechanism' that is environment friendly
constitutes the norm for industrial development. The important part of the issue is that environment
friendly industrial plants and infrastructure are far from what they ideally should be for
protecting/nurturing. Appropriate technology based on renewable alternative sources of energy.
While serious efforts are being made, to evolve new technologies and manufacturing processes, the
problem will remain for some to come. Among the developments that have already made their mark in
adding new manufacturing processes helping environment preservation are the manufacturing of
hybrid cars, solar cars and electric cars by automotive majors these are quite significant.
Now in era of huge industrialization the impetus is required to green energy solution by the
Government Industry & Consumer must have committed to ecological sustainability. In our country
40 per cent population has access to electricity or LPG and economic development is largely driven by
lack of electricity. As the economy & income grow, energy demand by 2030 will be three times what it is
today. Therefore, we have to focus on promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy.
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People/consumer driver must have to understand to buy a things should be energy efficient one.
Similarly energy efficiency building design can also reduce consumption. By doing this, we doing this,
we reduce consumption by upto or even more than50 per cent.
Nuclear power is pollution face, capital investment is more for initial stage, but in the long run the
renewable energy serve for energy efficiency. Now our installed capacity of 130,000 - 140,000 MW
along 11,000 MW is renewable. An impact analysis carried out in the year 2007-08 and comparison say
in India 3% and in France 70% & Japan is 40%, showed that the governments initiatives have resulted in
savings to the order of 3.7 million tones of oil / equivalent i.e. about 1% savings from Indian's total
energy consumption of about 400 billion tones of oil equivalent. Moreover, there are technologies
available, but we cannot get an additional 10,000 MW of energy immediately through renewable
sources. Thus it required Government and company's initiative for to be a lot of Research &
Development.
Focus on Sustainable Development
In the last 20 years it has become fashionable to argue that good development is 'sustainable', and that
on a worldwide, national and local basis governments should promote 'sustainable development'.
Despite several authoritative attempts at definition, there is much confusion over what sustainable
development means and what actions are necesary to promote it. The starting point of many
discussions of the concept is the often quoted definition in the Brundtland Report: 'Sustainable
development is development that meets the basic needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs' suggests that 'There has been a tendency to use
sustainable development as a device for mobilizing the opinion rather than an analytical concept for
developing specific policies'. Cullingworth and Nadin suggests that precise scientific definition. They
are instead social and political constructs used as a call to action but with little in the way of practical
guidance. We must meet/provide the basic needs although no he Grant.
In an attempt to expand on the basic definition, Blowers suggested that sustainable development is
intended. To promote development that enhances the natural and built environment in ways that are
compatible with :
(1) The requirement to conserve the stock of natural assets, whenever possible offsetting any
unavoidable reduction, by a compensating increase so that the total is left undiminished.
(2) The need to avoid damaging the regenerative capacity of the world's natural ecosystems.
(3) The need to achieve greater social equality.
(4) The avoidance to the imposition of added costs or risks on succeeding generations.
(5) All human challenges have become global challenges.
The goals of sustainable development are then seen as :
1. Resource conservation : to ensure the supply of natural resources for present and future
generations through the efficient use of land, less wasteful use of non-reusable resources, their
substitution by renewable resources, wherever possible, and he maintenance of biological
diversity.
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2. Built-environment quality : to ensure that the development use of the built environment
respects and is in harmony with the natural environment, and that the relationship between the
two is designed to be one of balance and mutual enhancement.
3. Environment quality: to prevent or reduce processes that degrade or pollute the environment,
to protect the regenerative capacity of ecosystems, and to prevent developments that are
detrimental to human health or that diminish the quality of life.
4. Social equality : to prevent any development that increases the gap between rich and poor and
to encourage development that reduces social inequality.
5. Political participation : to change values, attitudes and behavior by encouraging increased
participation in political decision making and in initiating environments at all levels from the
local community upwards.
Environmental Economics and Sustainable Development
In recent decades, the intensity and scope of interest in environmental issues has increased and a global
concern with the use of resources in ways that take account of future generations has led to the
widespread use of the term 'sustainable development'. In this chapter, the role of environmental
economics in analyzing environmental issues will be examined, and its contribution both to
formulating environmental problems and suggesting policy responses will be explored. The concept
of sustainable development will be scrutinized and the role of environmental economics in
understanding the meaning of sustainable residential development and in identifying instruments to
promote this will be discussed.
The meaning of environment
The use of the term 'the environment' is often confined to the natural environment. For example, it has
been stated that ' By "environment", we mean the biosphere...' the atmosphere... The geosphere .... and
all flora and fauna. Our definition of the environment thus includes all life forms, energy and material
resources, From this definition it follows that the environment has three broad functions: supplier of
resources, a sink or receptor for waste products, and a supplier of amenity. As a supplier of resources,
the environment is the source of all energy and materials that are inputs to productive processes; all
goods and services that are produced rely ultimately on natural resources extracted from the
environment. The processes of production and consumption create waste. The byproducts of
manufacturing such as gases added to the bins, and ultimately, the cars we drive, the buildings we live
in and virtually everything we have produced becomes waste. It can be argued that facets of the
environment have a limited assimilative capacity, a limited ability to absorb and degrade waste. As the
assimilative capacity is exceeded, the ability of the environment supply to more resources for future
production is impeded. Furthermore, the assimilative capacity of rivers, oceans and atmosphere to
receive waste may not be identified as some fixed volume at a fixed point in time. There may, rather, be
thresholds which are approached gradually that, once crossed create adverse and possible irreversible
reductions in the ability of the environment to supply resources and amenity. When waste products
contribute to this depletion in the environments productive capacity, we may think of them as
pollutants.
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Ecology
With the arguments for reducing traffic, the energy crisis and material recycling we reach out last and
most difficult concept, that of urban ecology. If at present there is one undisputed objective of city
development it is of the objective of sustainable city development, meaning the most compatible
integration of the city into the natural cycle. Ecology has rightly become be overriding principle of city
development. The ecosystem of the world would collapse if the type of urban development used in the
industrialized world was carried out throughout the globe. For this reason, there is an urgent need to
redirect this development.
The cities in old Europe have a good basis for doing this: they are relatively wealthy and their
populations are more or less stable; agricultural land has to be reduced as a result of over production,
and the average level of education is high. European cities could in fact show the world how to make
cities sustainable before environmental catastrophes force us to do so. However, what approach
should be selected and to what end?
This question can be broken down in to two opposing theses:
1. The city must necessarily, by its very essence, stand opposed to nature.
2. The city can be a component of a man made nature.
Finally on this subject, another recommendation from ecosystem research suggest that:
Cities must again become more strongly integrated into the surrounding landscape. The
procurement of drinking water should in the medium term be redirected from the utilization of
groundwater to the use of surface water with its lower degree of wastage. The exploitation of
waste water should after the separation or separate purification of industrial waste water, be
similar to that in rural settlement areas. In order to reduce the heat absorption of the city, as
large as possible an amount of vegetation should be planted on roofs, facades and around
buildings and rainwater should not be drained away but used for cultivation. Finally, the
production of foodstuffs should again take place close to the city in order to minimize
expensive transport costs. Some of the foodstuffs could be produced on the periphery of the
city in green houses. An attempt could also be made through artificial food chains to convert
biomass not reusable as foodstuffs e.g. algae into foods for humans e.g. fish.
We cannot avoid the need to compose our thoughts about he cultural landscape suited to our society,
because it will have to be different from the old cultural landscape for which we are so nostalgic. This
cultural landscape will be an urbanized landscape in the urban regions, a landscape between culture
and nature.
The city tomorrow will consist of a concentration of compact settlements surrounded and
surrounding countryside, which meets specific city functions. Open land as an internal
structures of the city has the potential of water and material cycles. These new, functional
perspectives have retroactive of the landscape and the aspect of recreation. The identity of the
city is derived not only from the design and mode of functioning of the built up area, but also
from the undeveloped open, "vegetative" areas.
City and country wide will have to be involved in a new symbiosis, polarized between biotechnical
systems in the city and new wildernesses in the countryside. City ecology will change from a science
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which is used predominantly for the analysis and protection of the remaining landscape into a
discipline which actively develops new forms of urban and cultural landscapes.
Climate Change Impact in the Developing World & Implications for sustainable Development.
In the report of the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change noted that between 1906-2005, the
global average surface temperature by about 0.74°C. The panel also conservately estimated that such
temperature could be increased by upto 5.8º C by 2010. Most of the warning observed that over last fifty
years is attributable to anthropogenic activities, through the emission of green one gas namely carbon
dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxides with carbon dioxide the most important contribution through the
industrial countries are responsible for nitrogen oxide and from developing countries generated
through agriculture & forestry.
Twenty five economics (confirming the European union on one) account for 84% of global greenhouse
gas emission. The same countries account for 74% (part of global population & 90% present of global
gross domestic product).
Therefore, in Copenhogen Conference -2009m Dec. the debate over responsibility for the danger we
have created is heating up. The industrial world is urging developing native such as China & India to
accept limits on Carbon dioxide emission for their own emission reduction plan. Such demands, China
& India report that the west being principally responsible for the built up of green house gas, should
take the first step & cut some stock to the still poor developing countries.
'TRIBUNE'- 31st October, 2010 reported that 2010 'exceptional year' for wealth disasters.
Catastrophic floods in Pakistan, wildfires in Russia and hurricanes in Mexico-2010 has so far been an
'exceptional year' for weather-related disasters, -German reinsurance giant Munich Re said. This year
has so far been the warmest since measurements began 30 years ago, with new temperature records set
in Russia (37.8 degrees centigrade) and in Asia (53.5 degrees in Pakistan). Only last month, a new
temperature record was set in Los Angeles, with the mercury hitting 45 degrees. "It is clear that global
warming is getting worse."
Millions of people living on the Bay of Bengal will be made homeless as the sea level rises. They never
above a car nor owned a telephone or had the smallest carbon tool point on earth means nothing. Thus,
the carbon innocence those whose home may be swept away by fast melting glaciers too would not
make any difference.
Similarly, Himalayan & Tibetean glaciers have been shrinking at an alarming rate threatening the
livelihood of a over a billion people dependent on the major river systems of Asia. There river system
also on other hand accelerated along with fossil fuel generated economic growth. This is also
nominated by satellite system to held & promote economic growth of million of people out of poverty
in the developing world & has increase the comfort for million others in the developing world.
But the U.S. note China's emergence in 2008 as the world's top polluter & call for capping its emission
urgently. Whereas China says western pollution i.e. responsible for 64% of problems associated with
climate change & its own per-capita emission is 4 tone compare to the US's 20 tonnes.
Thus, the leader of both the developed and developing world must of some point acknowledge threat
hanging over humanity, like the damocli's sword. The threat global climate change is not one that can
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be calculated on a natural per capita basis. We must take records at stage right now to meet he threat
before it is too late.
Thus, environmental science technology are two sides of a same coin, at present we should focus to
save natural resources/ energies from land to space to develop the human resources to maintain health
and to protect from threat of nature & created technology by scientist as a whole to society all around in
the world.
Urban India
Urban development in India is presently going through a very dynamic sage. The urban population is
expected to reach by the year 2030 some 600 million approx. 30-40% of the citizens alone reside in slum
& squatter settlement. Presently in Bombay 40 percent lives in slum.
By 2020 more than 50 per cent of India's population is expected to live in urban area, thus the age old
image of India's as a rural nation will be a mater of past. The concentration of urban agglomeration is
taking place in and around the major cities, towns and metropolitan are the phenomenal changes due
to internal growth and migration putting a colossal pressure on the state subject. No such logistic
policy is available to channelize and restore them in organized manner for controlled development to
accommodate with sufficient urban infrastructure for all to technology need to be resolved. Despite the
fact, Govt. of India attempted for (1) National urbanization policy, (2) National Commission for
Urbanisation (3) National Shelter Policy (4) Small & Medium Term Development; and (5) Nagpur
Palika Bill etc.
But to the fact despite some policy paper, the general urban scenario in common i.e. every where in
India except magnitude and level intensity. Thus, traffic pile-up, unauthorized construction, slum,
unattended garbage. Thus much else have come to symbolize urban chaos in India. Due to unplanned
uncontrolled development is root cause of environment pollution, carbon emission from slum,
unorganized sector, air pollution, water pollution, unhealthy insanitation etc. Existing urban scenario
at he first important needs for provision rudimentary services and infrastructure for a healthy livable
environment.
Sustainability of Big City needs some direction in its development:
The present generation specially engineers and Town Planners will have to stablise the population and
reduce the emission of green house gases which threaten the climate. We must know how to use energy
and naturals with great efficiency. We must rebuild the economy in order to eliminate waste and
pollution. We are lazy in industrialization of earth which is worst.
While thinking for development of city we must take care of following aspects:
1. Control of pollution and utilization of waste
2. Conservation and management factor
3. To check stoppage of landscape due to environment degradation.
4. Saving forests, grass land and semi Ariel ecosystems while growing industrialization.
5. Conserving ocean Resources.
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6. Measures to protect wild life and soil conservation through creating awareness.
7. Check air, water, soil, radiation and noise.
8. Controlling and reducing pollution.
9. Resettlement and rehabilitating people.
10. Disaster management.
11. Development should be sustainable.
12. Creation of development funds and its proper/fully utilization without corruption and
involving politics.
13. Beside finances, engineers, town planners, common man must be consulted and affected with
all projects.
14. It should be time found to avoid escalation of prices.
15. Growth of population and extent of development should be co-related.
16. Strict enforcement of Laws/Acts and Policies.
17. Restoring balance in Ecosystem and Energy crisis/Biotechnology improvement.
Development of city needs development of standard of life of common people besides Housing and
Industry so that both may co-exist a longer period. Therefore, a comprehensive urban planning
approach is the tools of sustainable development to achieving the best possible life & environment for
people in towns and cities.
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Technological Advances Leading to Sustainable
Construction of Buildings & Bridges
— Vinay Gupta*
Affiliations
Er Vinay Gupta is serving Tandon Consultants Pvt Ltd, India as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Over
his 27 years of professional carrier, he has been involved in planning, designing and coordination of
design, detailing and tender preparation of various bridges, flyovers, vehicular underpasses, long
span and tall buildings, steel structures, chimneys and quality control documents. He is an active
member of various Codes and Standards Committees of BIS and IRC in India dealing with Earthquake
Engineering, Special Structures, Loads & Stresses, Concrete Bridges, Bearings & Expansion Joints etc.
His contributions include preparation of IRC:SP:65-2005 (Design and Construction of Segmental
Bridges) and IRC:SP:71-2006 (Design and Construction of Precast Pretensioned Girders for Bridges).
He has been honored with the award for the best paper (titled Seismic Design and Construction of
Radisson Hotel, New Delhi) by Indian Buildings Congress. He has authored over 30 technical papers
in civil engineering journals & conferences and has been lecturing as Guest Faculty in NITHE, CRRI,
CIDC, etc. Er Gupta is also the Chairman of Indian Concrete Institute-New Delhi Centre. His
affiliations include M IABSE, M IRC, M ISET, M IE, F ICI.
Preamble
The entire world is busy carrying out construction of a large number of projects that relate to
infrastructure, real estate, power sector, industrial sector, etc. Needless to mention that civil
construction is the first aspect of a project implementation that precedes functional installations. Large
volumes of construction require an equated volume of cement production. Some 2.5 billion tonnes of
cement produced world-wide produces 2.5 billion tonnes of CO gas, leading to green house effect. 2
Blending of cement is a technology used to cut down emission of CO . It also results into conservation 2
of the natural resource, i.e. Lime Stone.
A structure would be disliked by masses, if it does not find enough aesthetic appeal. For that matter,
even the infrastructure projects are making inception of aesthetics and architects are being involved in
the design of flyovers. Use of fly-ash in construction of embankments, has helped conserving the
environment, because the waste product of Thermal Power Plants is successfully utilised.
Reinstatement of depleting water table has been partially controlled with the concepts of Rain Water
Harvesting. When a building or a bridge is constructed, the planners must ensure that the existing
heritage is not harmed. In one example, bridge height had to be raised by over 5m to ensure visibility of
the existing monument in the background, same way as it was visible before construction of the bridge.
It is also equally important to maintain the existing topography. In one of the projects discussed in this
* Chief Executive Officer, Tandon Consultants Pvt Ltd .
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paper, the topography, existing before the construction, was reinstated after completion of the
construction., through suitable means.
A. Khalsa Heritage Complex, Punjab
Fig 1: Khalsa Heritage Complex Anandpur Sahib, Punjab
To celebrate 500 years of history of Sikhs and 300 years of establishment of the Khalsa, the mega project
'Khalsa Heritage Complex' was launched by the Punjab Government. The project comprises a 150m
long pedestrian bridge to connect Complex 'A' and Complex 'C'. While the Complex 'A' houses library
blocks and a theatre, the Complex 'C' mainly houses high-tech exhibits of various types. The special
highlights of the project include (i) Inception of large volume of architectural fair faced concrete (ii)
Preparation of mock ups of all specialized elements, prior to their actual construction (iii) 26m span
prestressed concrete ramps in Heritage Museum building (iv) 20m span RCC roof beams acting as
partial catenary in Permanent Exhibit building (v) 35m span arch bridges incorporating prestressed
tie beams (vi) Precast canopy over the pedestrian bridge, (vii) Specialized Mechanical Connection
between in-fill brick walls and the adjoining beam-column frame structure for sustainability during
high seismic forces. Large scale use of Portland Slag Cement (PSC) for the project, gives advantage of
reduced consumption of lime stone leading to protection of environment and sustainable
development. The 60 acre site, situated in front of the main Anandpur Sahib Gurudwara was a barren
land comprising a combination of sand hillocks and plains. The architect's concept inherited a
monument emanating from the hillocks. For this purpose, photographs of the preconstruction site
were taken from all angles, so that the hillocks, that would have to be flattened during the construction
could be rebuilt to, as far as possible, the same shapes and forms as they existed before construction.
See Figure 1 for model view of the project.
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The complex has been divided into
(i) Complex 'A', housing a multistoried library complex and a 20m high, 400 seating capacity
Auditorium (Theatre).
(ii) Complex 'B', incorporating Pedestrian Bridge, having 4 arch spans of 35m each and a two level
cafeteria below the bridge and
(iii) Complex 'C', comprising various multi-storied buildings to house exhibits.
The architectural conception demanded the 4 arch spans (35m each) to be separated from each other by
a distance of 6m . Hence, the longitudinal thrust of one arch could not be balanced by the adjoining
arch spans. Therefore, each arch span was made independent, using prestressed tie beam, (4 nos. for
each arch rib of 7m width) provided below the ground level.
The pedestrian bridge has been provided with a precast canopy, which was precasted and erected
from top of the bridge itself. Each canopy unit comprises 3 pieces i.e. columns, slab and a concrete cap.
All these elements comprise architectural fair faced concrete using PSC, see fig 2.
Fig 2: Precast Concrete Campy Over Pedestrian Bridge
This 5 storied Permanent Exhibit Building (figure.3) has been provided with 600 deep coffer slab in the
lower floors for spans of 20m, in order to have smaller structural depth and allow space for services.
The roof has interesting features of 20m span concrete beams, radically arranged, which partly act as
catenary structure. Thereby 20m span could be managed in a small structural depth of 700mm. It may
be noticed that triangle shaped roof has become near vertical (over 600 to horizontal) at the ends,
wherein top shutter became mandatory to be able to pour and compact the concrete properly, see
figure 4.
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Fig 3: Permanent Exhibit Building Fig 4: Near Vertical Roof Required Double Shuttering
Camouflaging of fair faced concrete with fancy architectural finishes creates and excellent blend of
structure and traditional architecture. An extensive study was carried out to find ways and means to
obtain a concrete colour and surface finish, that would meet the architect's expectations. A round the
world trip was made by the author, along with others concerned, in order to study various methods of
concreting, including associated quality control measures exercised at various project sites. Visit to
Yad Vashem Museum Construction site and Ben Gurion Airport, both in Israel revealed that
international practice was to have large no. of mock ups to study the efficacy of concreting procedures.
In conclusion, simple things like type of cement used, shuttering material used, tamping of shuttering,
form release agent used, time of de-centering, edge protection, temperature etc, all affect the aesthetics
and quality of concrete.
It was found, through trials, that Portland Slag cement (PSC) gave a particular type of light grey colour
of concrete, which was acceptably used. PSC also has a distinct advantage of possessing lower heat of
hydration, thereby reducing early thermal cracks. After trying steel, marine plywood etc, it was found
that Resin Coated Ply imported from Finland produced the most satisfactory surface finish. Even the
shuttering joints were planned by the architects, as per the architectural acceptability. Mineral oil
based form release agents were found to leave a brownish tinch on concrete surface. So it was decided
not to use any form release agent and do a very gradual de-shuttering, in order to prevent spalling of
concrete. Time of de-shuttering was also found to have effect on concrete colour. Therefore, it was
ensured that the entire shuttering of an area was de-shuttered at the same time to maintain harmony of
colour.
In this project, the architects have done maximum justice to the concrete. This is by way of exposing
most concrete columns, buttresses attached to RCC walls and down-turn beams apart from other
elements indicated elsewhere in this paper. The false ceiling has been arranged between the beams (see
figure 5) in such a way that typically 150mm deep lower part of the beams projects below the false
ceiling, as architectural fair faced concrete, comprising PSC.
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Fig 5: Fair Faced Concrete Beams Visible Below False Ceiling
The project has made large scale use of the concepts of Rain Water Harvesting. For this purpose,
200mm dia perforated PVC pipes have been provided below the sock pit, underground. These are
connected to the building rain water discharge, all over the site.
A large scale use of Portland Slag Cement (PSC), conforming to IS:455 has been made. PSC being
blended cement, incorporates about 50% to 70% Blast Furnace Slag (BFS). This is a bi-product (a waste
product) of the steel industry, which is produced in the arc furnace. This way not only the wastage is
utilized for a constructive use, quantity of lime stone required in producing cement is also reduced in a
big way. Apart from conservation of natural resources, it also reduces the quantity of energy required
to produce cement, as less clinker is needed. This way the CO liberation is reduced and Green House 2
effect prevented. It is said that globally, about 2.2 Million Tonnes of CO is liberated every year to 2
produce 2.5 Million Tonnes of cement.
B. Amari Atrium Hotel, Bangkok
While it is important to conserve the environment, it is also equally important to speedily complete the
projects, which apart from having financial benefits, also reduces disturbance to traffic and the
neighbourhood. 25 storeyed Amari Atrium Hotel, Bangkok, built in the year 1991-93, incorporates
prestressed floor slabs for the upper 20 floors. This way each floor could be completed in an average of
9 days per floor. See figure 6 for overall view of the building.
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Fig 6: Amari Atrium Hotel, Bangkok
The structural system comprises Banded Slab System with frames at 8.2m spacing. Each frame
comprises 12m centre to centre span between columns flanked by 4m cantilever on either side.
Prestressed Band Beams are 400mm deep, that span 12m from column to column and 4m cantilever, on
either side. The Prestressed slab, that spans 8.2m, has a thickness of 200mm. Prestressing system
comprises unbounded tendoms using grease coated factory extruded strands, housed in flat
prestressing ducts for post tensioning the slab. See figures 7 & 8 for prestressing system. Apart from
speed of construction, prestressing gave a distinct advantage of reduced structural depth, reduced
deflections, enhanced durability and reduced consumption of concrete, eventually leading to
sustainable construction.
Fig 7: Prestressed Banded Slabs Fig 8: Flat Prestressing Cables
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C. Samtel Color Ltd, Ghaziabad
Use of prestressing is not only limited to buildings and bridges. It can as well be extended to Industrial
Structures. Samtel Color Ltd, Ghaziabad is one such example, wherein a large scale use of Precast
Prestressed Trusses (Post Tensioned) has been made. This way the 25000 sqm of factory building could
be construted in merely one year. The 25m span trusses are spaced at 10m and they are supported over
elastomeric bearings over the 10m high columns. The elastomeric bearing also acts as Seismic Isolator
to reduce Seismic Demand of the Structure, leading to economy in columns and foundations. See
figures 9 & 10 for illustration. The roof slab, in this case comprises precast RCC Inverted Channel Units
topped with cast-in-situ RCC. The structure so constructed, apart form being fast, also proves to be
weather tight for the airconditioned electronics factory. This reduces long term airconditioning load,
hence cost savings leading to sustainable construction.
D. Elevated Viaduct Over Barapulla Nallah
An innovative idea of providing an elevated viaduct over a city drain has been successfully
implemented, just before commencement of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. The project
comprises of construction of elevated road over Barapulla Nallah from Ring Road near Sarai Kale
Khan to Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium. The piers are located in Nallah bed for the entire project. The
alignment crosses Ring Road, Railway Tracks, Jangpura Road to Nizamuddin Railway Station &
Monumental Bridge over Nallah, Mathura Road and Lala Lajpat Rai Marg. See figure 11 for the
alignment. The project lies in close vicinity of historical monument, Tomb of Khan-i-Khana. 9.0m
carriageways are provided for each traffic direction with structures provided for both the
carriageways. Major portion of project comprises of two type of construction:
a) Stilted portion of standard spans constructed span-by-span with precast segments employing
launching girder.
Fig 9 : Samtel Color Ltd. (Ghaziabad)
Precast Post-Tensioned Roof Trusses
Fig 10 : Close Up View of Precast Trusses
Resting over Elastomeric Bearings
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b) Stilted portion of special modules constructed on major crossings by precast segmental
structure employing cantilever construction technique using Segment Lifter.
Fig 11: Alignment of Elevated Viaduct of Barapulla Nallah
The standard span modules have been provided with deck continuity with regular continuous length
of 3 × 34m = 102m, supported over two rows of elastomeric bearings at each pier location. This way, all
the piers and pier caps became aesthetically identical. The lateral forces have been transferred through
elastomeric bearings in vertical plane, attached to concrete upstand over the pier cap. Figure 12 shows
general view of standard spans. See figure 13 for standard span construction.
In addition to standard span modules, there are special span modules at the road crossings and railway
crossing. These are 3 to 5 span units with the largest central span of 84m. The special span modules
Fig 12: View of Viaduct
Fig 13: Construction of Standard
Span Modules
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have been constructed as precast segmental balanced cantilever structures employing specially
designed Segment Lifter. Figures 14, 15 & 16 depict this type of construction. In the case of the railways
span, it is interesting to note that a block time of only 2 hrs per day, from 12:00 midnight to 2:00am was
given, when construction activity over the tracks could take place and no train would run during this
period. Hence, the structural planning incorporated only dead end of cables over the railway side and
live end (prestressing end) on the remote side. While the preparatory works and segment erection of
remote side were done during the remaining 22 hrs, the segment erection (including its prestressing)
on the railway side was done during the specified 2 hrs. This way, speedy construction over-coming all
the hurdles leads to sustainable construction.
Fig 16 : Cantilever Construction Over Railways
The project alignment passes through the Tomb of Abdul Rahim Khan-I- Khana at Mathura Road
location. The mandate given by the ASI Department was not to obstruct the view of the tomb. For this
reason, the level of elevated viaduct was raised to obtain a clear height of 12m, see figures 17 & 18.
Fig 14: Use of Segment LifterFig 15: Balanced Cantilever Construction
Using Segment Lifter
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E. Viaduct of Bangalore Hosur Elevated Expressway
In line with promise to the nation, NHAI has completed the mega project of 10km long elevated
viaduct from Silk board Junction to Electronic City in Bangalore. Twin carriageway (2 × 2 lanes) is
carried over 16.3m wide twin cell box girder. Typical modules are 8 span continuous superstructure
with module length of 262m between expansion joints. About 3000 precast segments were constructed
in 3 different precasting yards, specially designed to carry out Short Bench method of precasting.
Erection of segments was carried out using 3 nos. of specially designed overhead Launching Girders.
Refer figures 19 & 20 for some of the operations of launching girder. The Launching Girder was
designed to be operated using wireless Remote Control for speedy operations, see figure 21. This way
even handling of segments including lowering and raising of segments for epoxy application could be
made fast and convenient, see figure 22. This way, a peak speed of 3½ days per span of the twin
carriageway superstructure could be achieved for the important BOT project.
Fig 17 : Tomb of Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana
(1556- 1627) : View from Mathura Road
Fig 18 : View of Khan-i-Khana Tomb from
Mathura Road with Elevated Road
at a Height of 12m
Fig 19 : Launching Operation Fig 20 : Launching Truss upported on Front Pier
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F. Mukerba Chowk Interchange, Delhi
An award winning project has recently been completed by PWD, Delhi. The project comprises Main
Flyover (2 × 4 lanes) over the Outer Ring Road, four clover leaves (3 lanes each) and Pedestrian cum
Cyclist Subway apart from other features. Figure 23 shows model view plan of the project. The main
flyover comprises Composite Steel-Concrete Box Girder with 2 and 3 span, full depth continuity.
Although expensive compared to concrete alternative, this option reduces consumption of cement, in
turn leading to conservation of enviroment and natural resource (lime stone). Figures 24 & 25 depict
some of the structural features. The piles have been provided with Portland Slag Cement (Blast
Furnace Slag Cement) in order to reduce the heat of hydration and better resistance to chemical attack.
Part replacement of OPC with Blast Furnace Slag leads to conservation of resources and utilization of
factory waste, resulting into sustainable construction.
Fig 21 : Cordless Remote for All Operations
of Launching Girder
Fig 22 : Segments Suspended From
Launching Girder
Fig 23: Model of Mukerba Chowk Traffic Interchange
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2.5%
C OF CARRIAGEWAYL
C OF FLYOVERL
RCC DECK SLAB
SEISMIC ARRESTORFOR TRANSVERSE FIXITY(TYP)
2.5%
C OF CARRIAGEWAYL
30200
14000 1100 14000
22
50
Fig 24 : Composite Steel Box Girder for Main Flyover
Fig 25 : Main Flyover
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The project planning had to surmount several difficulties of accommodating nearby ground features.
These include an archaeological monument, a burial ground, a major electric sub-station of 11KV &
33KV, garbage landfill site and a city waste drain running parallel to the main flyover, see figure 26 for
these features. At the burial ground, the pile foundation were provided in a way to escape the existing
graves. At the location of electric sub-station, the superstructure had to be maintained at a safe
distance, especially during construction. The pile foundations in the city drain were provided with
permanent liner for protection against harmful chemicals. And the excavation for pile cap was assisted
through sheet piling and suitable shoring. At the location of garbage landfill, the landfill was provided
with geogrid tension membrane for enhancing the tensile flexural capacity of the subgrade before
constructing the road over it. Adjoining landfill was provided with tensile membrane and seedlings to
grow grass, for aesthetics. This way, removal of the landfill could be avoided and yet a green strip
could be created.
Architectural features of the project include a specially designed from of voided slab superstructure &
camouflaging shape of piers for the integral structure of the Clover Leaves, see figures 27. The railing
and the lighting posts were specially designed to be aesthetically pleasing. The project has obtained a
wide public appreciation.
Fig 26 : Existing Features at Site
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Conclusions
A constrained site requires careful planning to negotiate the existing features. Although removing the
constraints may sound to be an easy solution, it is not always necessary to do so. Engineers have found
ways and means to negotiate the ground features and yet make a structure that is economical,
aesthetically pleasing and fast to construct. It is important to have an aesthetically pleasing structure,
like the one in case of Khalsa Heritage Complex, Punjab, wherein large scale use of architectural fair-
faced concrete employing Blast Furnace Slag Cement and Resin Coated Plywood Shuttering could
produce an aesthetic structure. Use of precasting and prestressing in buildings produces fast,
economical and sleek structure. These structures are durable and weather resistant. The solutions of
using Segment Lifter in the case of Barapulla Nallah Viaduct, implanting seedlings over landfill site in
Mukerba Chowk interchange etc are some of examples. On the whole, a carefully planned structure is
bound to produce an efficient structure.
Fig 27: Mukarba Chowk Architectural Views
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Holean Education - a Roadmap to Sustainable Education
— Prof. Priyavrat Thareja*
Synopsis
This paper is an attempt to explore the releavance of Godliness and goodness for Holistic sustainability in
education. The paradigm of a whole built up with Lean thinking (implying whole/lean) is knit around the core
thinking of freedom, aesthetics, and a learning environment. The term HOLEAN is constructed with holy,
holistic, and lean (collated as whole/lean).
The Holean Paradigm
The concoction of three vital attributes in 'HOLEAN' in above title is targeted to further explore them
for sustainable education, namely being Holy, Holistic and Lean. The former two terms i.e. Holy and
Holistic have fairly been talked of in academic circles, but not Lean. Before establishing an interconnect
(of lean with holy / holistic); let us first explore the applicability of 'Lean' here, in a wider context
within the bounds pertaining to the educational dimensions. Lean has presumably three meanings:
The conventional one with Lean Thinking (Thareja & Kaushik, 2010), the dictionary meaning (CALD,)
and the lineage to Hindi language. The symptomatic domains of three descriptions are as under:
a. Sustainable/ helpful:
The scientific word Lean (thinking) implies achieving a kind of focussed competency in the
chosen direction of business process, avoiding redundancies, wasteful labour and so on.
History has it that many erstwhile super-speciality people, who on the contrary proved as
failures at common school rigours, [namely. Bill gates, Albert Einstein, etc, having dropped out
of their schools, along with Sir Isaac Newton- notorious for common follies], only assert that
our formal education process was not Lean (helpful) to them. In other words it was not
sustainable.
b. Bending/ sloping
Since the literary meaning of English word lean marks a devotion, to bend/ slope towards
chosen direction, the second objective of leave identified above appears in tandem.
c. Engrossed in the learning
The Hindi word 'lean' implies that one is fully engrossed in the learning (or stipulated work to
the extent of its elevation as a sacred duty).
Contemplating 'Holean' while nursing sustainable education, it is advisable to build up a 'whole'
sustainable success the lean way. The success is better achieved when goals are pursued in right
direction. History has it that many super genius (like Bill Gates, Albert Einstein) have been failures at
school When Lean calls for accomplishing a no-fat system that will not only pull out the focus deserved
to achieve faster success for most, it will abate situations of demotivation (whatever?) of such
*Chartered Engineer (F.I.E (India).
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intelligentsia. Even though it is now fashionable to declare loftier goals, examine how much undivided
attention during the day is given to those loftier goals and how much time is given to preparing for
earning a living?
Theoretically, the goals should be smart (Specific, Measurable, Realistic and Timebound). And not
lofty. Martin (2003) clarifies: "At its most general level, what distinguishes holistic education from
other forms of education are its goals, its attention to experiential learning, and the significance that it
places on relationships and primary human values within the learning environment." (Paths of
Learning). The Holean purpose is a holistic integration of holy and lean education.
As Lean is to reduce wastes and/or add value, a lean education will be more efficient and effective.
Eliminating especially a non-value activity (or input) which does not serve the end purpose, the
efficiency is ensured. Strategically concentrating on attributes which are responsible for results,
imparting an education which is painless, useful, and which continually improves the Quality of life
can be facilitated. This is the assigned objective of HOLEAN. Whereas the paradigm holon (coined by
Arthur Koestler) assigns an organism, which is a whole, that is simultaneously a part of another 1
whole , it has potential to improve Quality of an organisational team (Thareja, 2010 a). The paradigm of
a holean here is envisaged to nurse a whole that is simultaneously composed of lean parts - for more
efficient and effective progress. The benefits may be large, since inefficiencies, process delays which
diminished performance can be abated when proactive initiative rather than a reactive one have been
applied to lean. It is seen in USA that at least 67 percent of students tested on NAEP (National
Assessment of Educational Progress) cannot perform at the required "proficient" level in any subject
area. The performance standards diminished because students had not used their activities and
resources in, say, holean way. Mere Lean would imply lowering of activities/inputs, cutting wastages
and adding value all proactively. Holean on the other hand calls for a total learning (leaning to learn),
duly pulled out from within, and thus it aggregates lean parts to compose a whole. When the central
concerns of education, which have more to do with inner liberation, are addressed, the education we
provide shall be sustainable. It agrees with the paradigm Krishnamurti envisioned for imparting
education as a media to give significance to life (Krishnamurti, 1955).
The Holy Whole
Let's continue to seek the wider meaning of HOLEAN in the context of sustainable education. From the
times of ancient Indian service paradigm, till date, it sustains to expect that "Education is rightfully 1
considered the greatest tool to liberate a group from the endemic cycle of poverty ". The idea was
naturally propagated through various stories, as in Panchtantra, wherein the various legends advise
healthy living@ simplicity and truthfulness. Forbes (1994) exhorts diminishing or eliminating the ego,
as the self or ego is a central obstacle to living religiously. Because, insists Krishnamurti (1987) "..if you
have no relationship with the living things on this earth you may lose whatever relationship you have
with humanity, with human beings".
Evidently, any thing good deserves to be projected as religious or godly. If education should bring
about freedom, love, the flowering of goodness and the complete transformation of society, it will
make the world good. As Krishnamurti (1964) envisages :"it (world) will not base on acquisitiveness, on
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power and prestige... - [the new] world that must be totally different from the present one" -a kind of a heaven.
Such a world devoid of chaos and disharmony will be an instrument of affluence, and hence a
sustaining one.
Recapitulating the scenario, in ancient India, the vocation, authorisation and devotion in Education
have always been considered as HOLY and divine. Assignees of educational rigours were
concurrently delegated along with various academic responsibilities to conduct Yagna, recite shlokas,
etc, which has been well documented in Puranas. Presumably the intelligentsia involved themselves in
writing the religious mantras, and holy scriptures like Vedas, Puranas, Gita and epics like Ramayana,
Mahabharata, and so on. The competency of learning was a measure of these scriptures having been
read, and deployed in one's character. There was even a measurement standard of traits: e.g. Bhagwan
Rama possessed 14 Kalayen (traits or competencies) and Bhagwan Krishna possessed all 16. Each
human being, world over, is exhorted to develop them. This is supported by the western thinking as
asserts Carol Ann Tomlinson "The central job of schools is to maximize the capacity of each student." ~ The
metric of this capacity in terms of Indian benchmark is Guna (qualities) or Kalayen.
It conforms to Tom Peters observation: "What gets measured, gets done." Regardless of the largely
talked rhetoric about the holistic development of the child, it is the content of assessments that largely
drives education. How is the creative thinking ability assessed? And if it is not assessed, is it at all
developed? In the absence of that is our education worthy? Further to what extent is the typical student
recognized and given respect? How often are students given the opportunity to recognize and evaluate
different points of view when multiple choice tests require a single 'correct' answer? Our education
today has gradually deviated away from the Holyness.
From Holy to Holistic
The gradual slide of education from learning of scriptures and emulating the character of Rama and
Krishna has caused our education today as turning towards more of facts and numbers. The emphasis
is on scientifically listing the various critical success factors, about what all are those competencies and
how to acquire them (pass the examination), albeit through a mechanical process. Maybe, it has never
touched the soul of students. The paradigm of education still gives a deaf ear to the Quality Guru WE
Deming's 11th of 14 points: "No numerical quotas & Eliminate work standards". But that mandate were
bookish, and not to epistemologically considered.
The today's education ignores accenting the relationship between the knower and the known, between
self and world, between mind and matter. Such a culture has come into being because of the
philosophical degradation of our education, from holy to holistic, from psychological to mechanical,
from fundamental to conceptual and now metaphorical? It could have been better, as professes Ayn
Rand: "The only purpose of education is to teach a student how to live his life-by developing his mind and
equipping him to deal with reality. The training he needs is theoretical, i.e., conceptual. He has to be taught to
think, to understand, to integrate, to prove. He has to be taught the essentials of the knowledge discovered in the
past-and he has to be equipped to acquire further knowledge by his own effort."
Right training and the effort (or indulgence) bring in the learner right culture to deal with reality and
incorporate learning skills. The principle III (i.e. The Central Role of Experience) of Education 2000: A
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2Holistic Perspective suggests: " While Learning is an active, multisensory engagement between an
individual and the world, a mutual contact between them empowers the learner and reveals the rich
meaningfulness of the world". It thus denotes presence of a meaningful environment which helps 2
learner achieve requisite competencies. "The goal of education therefore is to nurture natural, healthy
environment supporting 'holean' growth through experience, and not to present a limited,
fragmented, predigested "curriculum" as the path to knowledge and wisdom". Through complying
with such requirements/goal Malaysia has demonstrated that success is achievable. Habsah and
Hassan explain how an overlay of focus on the God-the Creator (as a new central core of learning) was
driven through their secondary school Integrated Curricula (2009). Implemented in 1984, the ISSC now
attempts following perspectives as a renewed holistic initiative to high Quality citizenry:
(1) knowledge of man and his Creator;
(2) knowledge of man in relation with his fellow beings, and
(3) knowledge of man and his interaction with his environment
Based on the holistic and integrated concept of education, Malaysia has her principles based on their
own National Philosophy of Education (NPE) with the belief and devotion to God as its central tenet. 2
However warns Phil Gang 'It's not about curriculum development, it's about human development.'
Ron Miller augments : "Holistic education is more concerned with drawing forth the latent capacities and
sensitivities of the soul than with stuffing passive young minds full of predigested information. It is an education
that prepares young people to live purposefully, creatively, and morally in a complex world."
In concurrence, Malaysia during design of secondary school Integrated Curriculum (ISSC) felt that
Integration of subjects must be made against a more wholesome interpretation of knowledge in which
new formal and non-formal aspects of curriculum provide the meaningful context of a certain teaching
and learning processes. Flake (1993) also advices that the ecological system and the environment play a
dominant role in providing inner meanings to individuals in the learning process. Clark (1997)
summarises by collating that the learning process can be enriched through the subjective context; time
context; symbolic context and ecosystem or global context.
The National Philosophy of Education (NPE) of Malaysia implied that the development of a well-
developed individual is materialized by the infusion of noble universal values. They identified the 16
core values towards fostering a relationship based on peace, harmony and goodwill among the citizens
of the country. These core values are namely: cleanliness of body and mind, compassion/empathy,
cooperation, courage, moderation, diligence, freedom, gratitude, honesty/integrity, justice,
rationality, self-reliance, love, respect, public-spiritedness and humility and modesty. ISSC was
designed around the development of these competencies, and corroborates on the essence of
Education and The Significance of Life (Krishnamurti, 1955, ch 6).
Argues Wan Mohd. Zahid (1993) while listing the following needs in education which must meet be
met in a holistic curriculum:
(i) First, the importance of the metaphysical principle embedded in the respective religious belief
of individuals aimed at instilling the spirit of interconnectedness with the Creator,
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(ii) second the need to master knowledge of both the social sciences and humanities in justifying
the need for individuals to interact in the social context, and
(iii) thirdly, the need to master knowledge of the physical sciences in order to enable man to
understand his/her position as being a part of the interconnected reality with the physical
world.
Schubert (1986) compliments that holistic concept in education had also been practiced in the early
history of education in China and India. As pointed out by him, the teachings of Confucius and Lao Tze
and also the holy books of the Vedas, Gitas and Upanishads had shown that much emphasis was given
to the spiritual element in education as a mean to achieve spiritual happiness.
Spirituality, an important aspect of the holistic education extends beyond an individual's physical
entity encompassing the inner spiritual dimension of emotion, intuition, creativity with the belief in
God being primordial (Habsah and Hassan2009). In the Malaysian context, holism not only constitutes
the intellectual, spiritual, emotional and physical elements of an individual but extends beyond the
social, environmental, and contextual dimensions to a higher metaphysical position with God as the
highest source of truth.
From a critical and exploratory context, the ancient Indian education (involving various Vedas, epics
viz Ramayana, Mahabharata etc) reveals that conceptualisation of aforementioned attributes were
prevalent as a system. It can be so said because Hindu epics appear to display large and holistic
dimensions, explanations, reasoning, interconnections, solutions and explanations. Most of the events
or actions can be regressed to the cause and effect analysis which are adequately explainable. They
stand as exemplars even today and support social problem solving. The so called religion forms the
basis of securing health and sustainability in societal structure. The extension of this role to a stable
Quality control (read Quality assurance) primarily follows from a 'Holy' attribution to societal culture.
The superquality characters (even metaphorical ones) emerge from such education.
Styles of Quality control did however become heavy in pre-enslaved India, and maintenance of
discipline became difficult; as a result, knowledge slowly got localised into pockets of affluence. There
was an excessive religion orientation which was being exploited by some, leading to licensing of sorts.
it restricted the common mass to engage in such activities that had an interface with genetic
superiority, and/or deep learning. The devotion to duty and preparedness being high, the works
commissioned invariably displayed stupendous Quality. Anyone, then, could 'transform' oneself to
achieve the required traits so as to deserve the coveted assignment. Thus a 'Quality assurance' system
was an implied imperative, as extensive life cycle quality was ordained. The system was however
destroyed as a result of many controversies, with an effect of repeated invasions of foreigners:
Mughals, Europeans and so on, who destroyed the primary structure of ancient (Vedic) civilisation
from the status of great potency. The richness did slowly bust, and current Holyness what has
remained is no longer 'religious', which should rather be secular in nature, pardoning in culture and
full of goodness in conduct. It is now packed only with empty rituals which are formal and
meaningless in their disposition.
Albeit that erstwhile system of education was strong, yet India had quite lost such leads? A political
failure led to a severe degradation in the meaning of religion, and hence the holy disposition to human
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development. The question here is not to explore the causes of failure, but to assure that what has
remained after transformation is worthy of sustenance? Say, if it is not holy, it should at least be holistic.
Further in light of extensive developments of subjective context; time context; symbolic context and
ecosystem or global context, it should be lean.
The questions further posed are? Can this be done in a better way to seek better outcome etc facilitate
brainstorming towards improvement? One may ask: what can be eliminated in the process without
reducing value to the customer/end-user? Towards the end goal, one seeks to improve processes by
streamlining them or anticipate and prevent problems rather than fix and resolve them.
Holistic and Lean Education for Holean Sustainability
In ancient Greece, Socrates argued that education was about drawing out what was already within the
student. (to reiterate, the word education descends from the Latin e-ducere meaning "to lead out"). At
the same time, the Sophists, a group of itinerant teachers, promised to give students the necessary 4knowledge and skills to gain positions with the city-state . Observes Forbes (1994) "…most people still
see it (education) predominantly as preparation for succeeding in a material world." Expectedly, the
industrial economy solicited necessary training of workers who would efficiently perform their
assigned tasks. An education designed to train people for their narrow roles in the workplace is vastly
different from an education whose purpose is to enable individuals to become all they are capable of
being. The paradox thus is in this competition of holy versus commercial teaching.
Holism asserts that phenomena can never be fully understood in isolation. If, say, it is preparation of
good citizens, it asserts that all relationship, in the context of connection and meaning be evaluated.
Until all aspects of e-ducere and skills (necessary for securing jobs) are taken care, the education will be
incomplete. Forbes accepts "Modern education is so obviously failing to solve the world's problems, is
so criticized for failing to meet societies' aspirations, and is so clearly unable to prepare people for the
challenges of life."
Wendell Berry went to the heart of the matter in the title of his 1990 book, What Are People For? If people
are viewed as merely employees in a mechanistic economic system, then they need, above all, to be
managed, evaluated, graded and disciplined. If, on the contrary, society views the human being as an
active, creative, aspiring organism, then it must educate children in ways that honor such qualities
rather than suppress them.
In the Quaker tradition, education is not primarily about transmitting authorized knowledge to
passive learners, but achieving personal and social transformation by unleashing and nourishing the
creative power of the Inner Light.
Butler (1993) holds the view that that the following aspects are important in the teaching and learning
strategies. First, students should be involved in the process of critical thinking which involves
reflective thinking and problem-solving strategies that opposed teaching and learning strategies
which are routine in nature. Reflective thinking for instance, involves deep thinking or meta cognitive
approach which requires students to make meaningful connections between the disciplines taught and
learned.
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When it is faithful to its foundations, Quaker education is neither student-centered, nor discipline-
centered; it is rather inward-centered. Quaker education operates from the conviction that there is
always one other in the classroom-the Inward Teacher, who waits to be found in every human being.
In a more Holean way, when "Krishnamurti acutely integrates religion, organizations, tradition,
nationalism, and relationships to form the complex the education is, and his model rather runs counter
to the convention of the day. Argues Forbes "If they are less startling today, it is either due to the affect
[read effect] his insights have had on common consciousness or an indication of the extent to which he
was ahead of his time".
Feels Krishnamurti: until the teachers and society understand the relevance of being (rather than
doing), reality can not be sought {The essence is hiding, say differing from being a healer rather than
doing practice}. Our teachers, for example, teach the subject entrepreneurship, without having
understood risks (Thareja, 2010 b), or most teachers teach Quality without having known it (Weinstein
et al, 1998). So they are generally far from being an academic Guru, and unless they do it, they can never
graduate to the state of being it. Krishnamurti asserts that there is a common tendency to assume that
when people use the same words, they perceive a situation in the same way. [on the contrary] This is
rarely the case. Once one gets beyond a dictionary definition-a meaning that is often of little practical
value-the meaning we assign to a word is a belief, not an absolute fact, the gap between doing and
being will sustain. This also resonates with the significance of pursuing educational objectives, since
the goals proposed by our academe are only symptomatic {as liberating a group from the endemic
cycle of poverty, referred above} and never realistic, and are only academic and bookish. In their
absence, conventional education is not in sync with realism.
Luckily in the green economy, individuals are not considered in such a robotic image, but are generally
treated as whole human beings capable of creativity, imagination, and a lifelong search for meaning.
Butler (1993) holds the view that that the following aspects are important in the teaching and learning
strategies. First, students should be involved in the process of critical thinking which involves
reflective thinking and problem-solving strategies that opposed teaching and learning strategies
which are routine in nature. Reflective thinking for instance, involves deep thinking or meta cognitive
approach which requires students to make meaningful connections between the disciplines taught and
learned. As "The reductionism can only give us a partial view of anything it dissects", the gross impact
of education should be holistic for sustainability. Since "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts", the
promise of excellence in education lies here. It and implies that the whole is possibly comprised of a
pattern of relationships that is not contained by the parts that ultimately define them. It emerges that
once an alignment for reflective thinking and problem-solving faculties are in place, the necessary
knowledge and skills to fill positions with the city-state will be easily raised.
Any change or event eventually causes a re-alignment, however slight, throughout the entire pattern.
Exhorts Lacey (1998.) "to encourage people to make the world better, to become informed, skilled
agents of positive social, political, economic, and educational change (1998.)" for re-alignment. They
take seriously the teaching that a divine "seed" animates every human soul, and they understand their
primary mission is to nourish this seed so that all people may reach their intellectual, social, moral and
spiritual potential." Supports Emerson "The secret of education lies in respecting the pupil. It is not for you to
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choose what he shall know, what he shall do. It is chosen and fore ordained, and he only holds the key to his own
secret..."
The formal introduction of 'science' education has surely imparted the erstwhile basics and aligned
unhindered strength for multidimensional expansion into materialism. Though more and more
experimentations have resulted in superior products and consequential understanding of phenomena
and vice versa, making average human life longer but it is actually much sicker. Since much of 95 % of
modern age inventions have been a result of chance factors, it supports the premise that some
unforeseen forces have been present with their interplays. If the education supports aesthetics, beauty
blends synergistically with the environment, as advices Krishnamurti, the new education will make
much better difference to the Quality of the world. It will make the world sustaining, both in terms of
education, and also for the education.
The contribution of rigorous application of learning is not to be demeaned here. It has rather served to
facilitate the evolution of an unforeseen, unprecedented by-product chancing as a fruit of labour,
which invariably enriched our mankind with new learning, materials and processes. Any expansion in
unplanned domains has only imparted our education and continual learning another tread in being
more holistic. It in turn enlarges and finally completes the domain of our educational affluence
(Thareja, 2007)
Conclusions
1. The current education, designed to serve the needs of industrial society, is not potent to actually
serve the needs of society, in terms of sustainability or satisfaction.
2. Holyness of erstwhile education was a worthy attribute destroyed because of ancient Indian
political instability, and the need has been validated in Malaysia, which is in agreement with
Krishnamurthy's thought process.
3. A Holy education can only be holistic, and can elevate the educational process to a more
sustainable one.
4. Since most of inventions have been chance based, once the rudiments of creative thinking and
rightful attitude have been set in, and life long learning is in place, the other competencies will
easily arrive at.
References
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AboutEngineering Council of India
Dr. Uddesh KohliChairman
Mr. Mahendra RajVice Chairman
Mr. Chander VermaTreasurer
Office Bearers of ECI
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November 29, 2010 ❑ New Delhi ❑ 89
Board of Governors
Chairman
Dr. Uddesh Kohli Chairman Emeritus, Construction Industry Development Council
Vice -ChairmanShri Mahendra Raj President, Indian Association of Structural Engineers
TreasurerShri Chander Verma President, International Council of Consultants
Chairman, Construction Industry Development Council &
Indian Society for Trenchless Technology
Members
Dr. S. S. Mantha Acting Chairman, All India Council for Technical Education
Shri S. Ratnavel Member, Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (India)
Dr. S. Gangopadhyay Advisor, Head - RDPD, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
Dr. P. R. Swarup Director General, Construction Industry Development Council
Shri K. K. Kapila President, Consulting Engineers Association of India
Prof. P. Trimurthy President, Computer Society of India
Shri Rajeev Kher Joint Secretary, Dept. of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Prof. D.V. Singh Member, Indian National Academy of Engineers
Shri B. N. Puri Sr. Consultant, Planning Commission
Commander B M Bhandarkar Chairman, Indian Institution of Industrial Engineering
Shri J. S. Saluja Member, Indian Institution of Plant Engineers
Prof. Niranjan Swarup Executive Director, Indian Society for Trenchless Technology
Shri R. S. Prasad ADG (Trg), CPWD, Ministry of Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation
Shri Lalit Gupta Director (R&D), DGCA, The Aeronautical Society of India
S. L. Swami Chairman, The Institution of Civil Engineers (India)
Shri R.K. Gupta President, The Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers
Prof. Kasi Rajgopal Chairman, The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Dr. Sanak Mishra Past President, The Indian Institute of Metals
Shri Ashok K. Sehgal Member, The Institute of Marine Engineers (India)
Shri
th8 National Conference on Sustainable Development- Role of Engineers and Technologists
November 29, 2010 ❑ New Delhi ❑ 90
Executive Committee
Dr. Uddesh Kohli Chairman EmeritusChairman Construction Industry Development Council
Shri Mahendra Raj PresidentVice Chairman Indian Association of Structural Engineers
Shri Chander Verma PresidentTreasurer International Council of Consultants
ChairmanConstruction Industry Development Council &Indian Society for Trenchless Technology
Members
Shri K. K. Kapila PresidentConsulting Engineers Association of India
Shri P. R. Swarup Director GeneralConstruction Industry Development Council
Invitee
Shri R.K. Gupta PresidentThe Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers
Shri P. N. Shali DirectorEngineering Council of India
th8 National Conference on Sustainable Development- Role of Engineers and Technologists
November 29, 2010 ❑ New Delhi ❑ 91
Engineering Council of India (ECI)Engineering Council of India (ECI) was established on April 4, 2002 by coming together of a large number of Professional Organizations /Institutions of engineers to work for the advancement of engineering profession in various disciplines and for enhancing the image of engineers in society, by focusing on quality and accountability of engineers and to enable the recognition of expertise of Indian engineers and their mobility at international level in the emerging WTO/GATS environment. It has emerged as a common voice of its member organizations. It is focusing on the following role and tasks.
Tasks
lRepresenting Member Associations in government and non-government bodies, and interacting on common policy matters relating to engineering profession.
lWorking for the setting up of a Statutory Council of Engineers and later interfacing with it, providing support and inputs for developing systems and procedures for the registration of engineers, CPD, code of ethics.
lFacilitating authorization of member associations to register engineers; assisting them in developing internal systems for undertaking registration, CPD, enforcing code of ethics; and providing common forum for CPD to support the member associations.
lAssisting member associations in interaction with academic institutions and regulatory bodies in regard to their examinations, award of degrees etc.
lProviding forum for exchange of information and experience among member associations, coordination, common thinking and views on important matters.
lHelping in the analysis of existing education systems/bodies and making suggestions in order to make the education relevant for the engineering profession and employability.
lSetting up a Resource Centre and Database of Engineers, which can provide necessary information required for the development of the profession.
lInteracting with professional associations/bodies in other countries & international bodies.
lUndertaking and supporting research for the development of the engineering profession.
Engineer's Bill
ECI has prepared a draft Engineer's Bill for the Consideration of the Government of India, which lays down the criteria for the process of registration of Practising Engineers and provide necessary statutory framework for the same. The draft is being processed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
Membership
Membership of the ECI is open to societies/organisations of engineers who meet the following requirements :
lhaving been established statutorily or registered in accordance with law.
lhaving atleast 100 corporate members
lhaving existed for at least four years, and
lthe accounts being audited annually.
ECI has been formed by coming together of a large number of professional associations / institutes of
engineers. The present members are :
1. Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (India)
2. Broadcast Engineering Society (India)
3. Computer Society of India
4. Consultancy Development Centre
5. Construction Industry Development Council
6. Consulting Engineers Association of India
7. Indian Association of Structural Engineers
8. Indian Buildings Congress
9. Indian Concrete Institute
10. Indian Geotechnical Society
11. Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers
12. Indian Institution of Bridge Engineers
13. Indian Institution of Industrial Engineering
14. Indian Institution of Plant Engineers
15. Indian National Group of The IABSE
16. Indian Society for Non Destructive Testing
17. Indian Society for Trenchless Technology
18. Institute of Urban Transport (India)
19. International Council of Consultants
20. Institution of Mechanical Engineers (India)
21. The Aeronautical Society of India
22. The Indian Institute of Metals
23. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Inc., India Council
24. The Institute of Marine Engineers (India)
25. The Institution of Civil Engineers (India)
26. The Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers
27. The Institution of Surveyors
Engineering Council of India
th8 National Conference on Sustainable Development- Role of Engineers and Technologists
November 29, 2010 ❑ New Delhi ❑ 92
NHPC Limited
Rural ElectrificationCorporation Limited
Main Sponsors
Sponsors
Principal Sponsor
Co-sponsors
Nuclear Power Corporationof India Limited
Coal India Ltd.
Indian Farmer Fertiliser Cooperative Limited
NTPC Limited
The National Small Industries Corporation Limited
Engineers India Limited
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited
NMDC Limited
Hindustan PetroleumCorporation Limited
Bharat HeavyElectricals Limited
Central Warehousing Corporation
Power FinanceCorporation Ltd.
Power Grid Corporationof India Limited
Steel Authority of India Limited
SJVN Limited
TATA
Airports Authority of India
National Aluminium Company Limited
Indian Oil Corporation Limited
Lanco Infratech Limited Petronet LNG Limited
Larsen & Toubro LimitedECC Division
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.
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