SRM conducts events to mark ‘World Environment Day’

The event started with an environmental audit around the university campus. This audit helped to gauge the exact status of the waste generated in the campus, and will eventually help in reducing the quantity of the waste, and to understand the impact it has on the ecosystem.

Dr Sandeep Sancheti, Vice Chancellor of SRM Institute of Science and Technology, presided over the whole event, while Dr A Sundaram, Dean, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre delivered the special address and gave a few interesting insights into the ways in which the environment can be handled better. He also explained ideas through which India could have an environmentally sustainable future.

J Daniel Chellappa, senior scientist in Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), facilitated the event and spoke about the need to develop higher efficient water purifiers in houses and educational institutions. Speaking about the ways water purification can be improved in SRM, he said BARC has developed technologies that would decrease the water wastage during reverse osmosis. He also said the BARC has developed a variety of drought seeds in Tamil Nadu.

M Shanmugasundaram, scientific officer, Kalpakkam, spoke about radiation awareness. He also highlighted the need to develop better awareness among people about the harmful effects of radiation.

Dr V K Ramadesikan, a former professor at Madras Medical College, spoke about hospital waste Management. He highlighted the need to be careful while disposing hospital waste such as a syringes, liquids, used bandages and dressings, discarded gloves and other medical supplies. He also explained different ways to dispose of such waste in a safe and eco-friendly manner.

The week-long event started with tree planting and seed ball throwing in SRM Rural Health Hospital in Mamandoor.

Events such as e-poster and banner creation based on hospital waste management and, this year’s main topic, Beat Air Pollution (#BeatAirPollution) received hundreds of entries. A lot of students participated in these events and were at their creative best. The Institution of Engineers, Kalpakkam, and Indian Association of Nuclear and Allied Scientist, Kalpakkam, sponsored gifts for the first three prizes in each category.