Page 29 - HUDCO Award for Best Practices - 2024

THEME: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, ENERGY CONSERVATION AND GREEN BUILDINGS

9. Job creation and livelihood:

Sustainability initiatives at IIM Indore contribute to job creation and livelihoods. Various departments including horticulture,
projects, estate, accounts, and human resources, actively participate, fostering employment opportunities.

TRANSFERABILTY
IIM Indore has already mentored another institute to start the Rural Engagement Program there. Besides, several institutions
including corporates have visited us and are replicating our spiritual garden in their premises. This work can be replicated and
help other institutes and organisations to make their environment green, healthy, and eco-friendly. Any educational organization
can adopt the water conservation and waste management model of IIM Indore to maintain sustainability on their campus. Such
campuses can start a green campus initiative to increase aesthetic value and foster a healthy environment. Our model can especially
be replicated because it is a self-sustainable model which any campus can adopt.

IIM Indore’s work is not a replication or modification of other practices. While IIM Indore consistently encourages visitors from
worldwide to incorporate our initiatives into their organizations, its focus is on implementing environmentally friendly practices.
Through these green initiatives, it aims is to preserve the environment and promote sustainability, ultimately contributing to the
creation of a better world for all to inhabit.

LESSONS LEARNED

According to IIM Indore, primary motivation for these initiatives has been the acknowledgment of ‘Challenges.’ Throughout this
journey, it has encountered various obstacles that have inspired to actively address and overcome them. An illustrative example is
the campus location atop a rocky hill, where the soil is infertile, and there is a notable absence of trees, coupled with water scarcity.

IIM Indore says that these challenges served as catalysts for these transformative initiatives, leading to convert the barren land into a
lush green campus. In response to water scarcity, it took proactive steps by implementing wastewater treatment plants and adopting
rainwater harvesting practices. To effectively manage waste, a dedicated waste management area was established, converting waste
into valuable manure. Be it solar energy utilisation, natural farming, or plastic ban, one after another, IIM Indore kept adding various
levels to our initiatives.

Additionally, their motivation extends to environmental conservation and they are deeply committed to safeguarding the environment.
At IIM Indore, the community, not only champion environmental protection but also fervently advocate for sustainable living
practices and their unwavering dedication to cultivating green spaces reflects the solemn pledge to preserve the planet for future
generations.

REFERENCES

Image: Newspaper clippings showing green initiatives by IIM Indore

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