Gandhinagar : The Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar’s (IITGN) Dr Kiran C Patel Centre for Sustainable Development (KPCSD) in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) successfully organised a three-day training programme on ‘Sustainable Environmental Management: Integrating Policy, Technology and Circularity in Pollution Control’ from July 21-23, 2026. The programme brought together nearly 35 experts and officials from the Central and State Pollution Control Boards, MoEFCC, and regional organisations deliberating on the pressing environmental challenges, especially pollution control and ways and means of sustainable environmental management.
The program served as a platform for policymakers, regulators, researchers and practitioners to exchange knowledge and discuss the latest developments in pollution control technology, sustainable resource management and environmental governance. Dr Rakesh Kumar, Former Director, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) emphasised the need for evidence-based approaches to sustainability, “Sustainable solutions need to be guided by scientific evidence, credible data and a holistic understanding of their long-term implications. Tools such as Life Cycle Analysis empower us to make informed choices by taking into account not only the benefits but also the unintended consequences of environmental interventions. Broadening this evidence-based approach is critical to developing policies that are effective and sustainable.”
Dr Jatinder Singh Kamyotra, Former Member Secretary, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), highlighted the growing environmental pressures arising from rapid urbanisation, population growth and increasing demand for natural resources. He said, “Environmental challenges today are becoming increasingly complex due to rapid urbanisation, population growth, land-use change, resource privatisation and rising water demand. Addressing these challenges requires scientific planning, effective policy implementation and collective action. Equally important is embracing the principles of the 5Rs—Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle to minimise waste, improve resource efficiency and build a more sustainable future.”
The training programme stressed the need for an integrated and interdisciplinary approach to environmental problems. The inaugural session and discussions were moderated by Prof Sameer Patel, Co-Coordinator, Dr Kiran C Patel Centre for Sustainable Development and Associate Professor, Civil Engineering and Chemical Engineering, IIT Gandhinagar and moderated the inaugural session and discussions, encouraging dialogue among experts on environmental sustainability and governance.
Prof C N Pandey, Professor of Practice, Earth Sciences and Humanities and Social Sciences and Coordinator, Dr Kiran C Patel Centre for Sustainable Development, IIT Gandhinagar, emphasised integrated environmental sustainability through recycling, waste management, reducing carbon footprints and the need for effective policy implementation including in smaller towns. Prof Vikrant Jain, highlighted the need to integrate Earth System Science with environmental sustainability, enhance policy coordination and reiterated IIT Gandhinagar’s commitment to sustainability as a green campus. Prof Sudhir Arora, stressed on practical field learning and real world experiences in environmental management. Prof R N Singh, Visiting Professor, Earth Sciences, IIT Gandhinagar, highlighted the importance of Earth system governance, data sensing and computational approaches.
The initial discussions highlighted the need for integrated thinking, scientific evidence, reliable data, practical knowledge, effective governance and strong policy implementation to tackle environmental challenges. The technical sessions addressed various issues such as cross-sectoral environmental problems, nature-based solutions, impact of pollution on ecosystems and human health, urban pollution, water and wastewater management, environmental governance, environmental impact assessment (EIA), new technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning for pollution management, and mathematical modelling for policy and regulatory decision making. They also participated in brainstorming sessions to share field experiences, identify policy gaps and develop practical recommendations to strengthen environmental management.
As part of the programme, the participants visited GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City) to gain first-hand insights of its sustainable urban infrastructure. The visit included a presentation at GIFT IFIH (GIFT International Fintech Innovation Hub) and guided tours of the Utility Tunnel, Automated Waste Collection System (AWCS) and the City Command and Control Centre (C4) to demonstrate integrated approaches to urban environmental management. The programme concluded with synthesising key recommendations emerging from discussions led by experts, and discussed the way forward for strengthening environmental governance and practices for sustainable pollution control across India.
