Page 47 - HUDCO Award for Best Practices - 2024

THEME: SANITATION

SUSTAINABILITY

Financial: Cost recovery takes place in the following indirect and direct forms: production of recycled water and manure from
sewage treatment plant, production of electricity (average 6 kWh/day) and manure from biogas plant, nominal direct financial
income through sale of recyclable waste.
Social and economic: Proper waste segregation and disposal have become a social norm at IITGN and includes all stakeholders:
children, women and men.

Cultural: The behaviour pattern within IITGN has changed substantially and respect for proper segregation and disposal has arisen.
The community appreciates the importance of these aspects much better now.

Environmental: Biogas plant produces electric energy (energy from waste) and sewage treatment plant produces recycled water for
use in horticulture. Through proper segregation, the amount of landfill waste is substantially reduced. Biogas plant, sewage treatment
plant and compost pits produce rich organic manure that is readily utilized within the campus. A system to absorb all of the manure
has been put in place by the horticulture works. Solar PV generation on campus aids in saving electricity from the grid which in turn
help in CO emission reduction.
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Institutional: A Green Office has been instituted within the campus which spearheads the efforts towards waste segregation and
disposal. It has a mandate of educating, spreading awareness and overseeing the execution of initiatives related to waste management.
The decision-making process is simple and efficient. The IWD remains in sync with the Green Office so that the intellectual and
execution aspects of waste management can happen seamlessly.

TRANSFERABILITY

IITGN is a modern educational Institute with open boundaries where anyone and everyone is welcome to visit and learn about
its practices. The IWD is primarily responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the sewage treatment plant, biogas plant, and
compost pits. The concerned officers are ready to engage with anyone who wishes to replicate the waste management practices.
Additionally, with the intention of dissemination of the good practices, IITGN has published several booklets on thematic areas such
as ‘Planning the sustainable campus’ which are available on its website (www.campus.iitgn.ac.in). Moreover, another publication
on ‘Water and wastewater management’ has also been published which have more details pertaining to the sewage treatment plant.
IITGN welcomes all efforts to learn from its good practices and those interested may directly write to the Dean, Campus Development
at campus@iitgn.ac.in.

LESSONS LEARNED

IITGN is a modern institute with an open mind set and believes in the philosophy of inclusiveness. The same philosophy was at
the base of the development of its permanent campus at Palaj, Gandhinagar. An all-inclusive philosophy meant that the campus
was to be constructed with minimal impact on the environment. Consequently, the campus was planned to be a zero discharge and
zero waste campus. For development of biogas plant, the expertise from BARC was utilized. Several working methodologies and
processes were developed in-house to institute proper waste segregation, management and disposal practices within campus. The
practices developed at IITGN are highly modular and can be readily extended to other establishments. In line with its existing sewage
treatment plant, another one is being planned for the next phase of upcoming buildings within the campus. The practices and policies
developed by the Green Office can also be leveraged by anyone willing to learn from them. Anyone interested in taking this forward
can write to Dean, Campus Development (campus@iitgn.ac.in).

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