Union Minister for Education Shri Ramesh Pokhiyal ‘Nishank’today inaugurated the new Lecture Hall Complex(LHC), Centralized Heating, Ventilation, Air conditioning (HVAC) and a Sewage Treatment Plant(SPT) via online mode of the Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Roorkee. Minister of State for Education Shri Sanjay Dhotre also graced the occasion.The online ceremony also witnessed the presence of Prof. Ajit K Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee, Prof. Manoranjan Parida, Deputy Director, IIT Roorkee, Deans, Associate Deans, Departments/Centres Heads, Professor in Charge, Registrar, Joint Registrar, and Deputy Registrar in IIT Roorkee. 

Speaking on the occasion the Minister said that IIT Roorkee is the pride of India as it is the oldest technical institutions in Asia.   Being in the league of the premier institutions, IIT Roorkee has set a benchmark in excellence in academics in India and is actively contributing to the cause of building ‘New India’ as envisioned by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. IIT Roorkee is based in the Himalayan region that is endowed with biodiversity. However, human-animal conflicts have become common in this region.  The Minister appealedthat IIT Roorkee should come up with viable solutions to reduce human-animal conflicts and contribute to scientific social responsibility.

Shri Pokhriyal highlighted that the New Education Policy -2020 has presented a new framework for intellectual development of the youth of the country. The government has made a great effort to bring significant changes in the education system keeping in mind the rapidly changing world and future challenges and needs. He hoped that implementation of NEP- 2020 will strengthen the students and provide a path to make India a developed, digital and self-reliant country.

While addressing the participants Shri Dhotre said Infrastructure is a key enabler in enhancing the quality of education. The three new projects- Lecture Hall Complex (LHC), Centralized Heating, Ventilation, Air conditioning (HVAC) and a Sewage Treatment Plant (SPT) will upgrade the infrastructure in tune with requirements over time and bring them at par with global standards. He congratulated IIT Roorkee for this initiative and wished them success in all their future endeavours.

The construction of the Lecture Hall Complex (LHC) started in 2016 and costs about INR 80.25 cores. It has a built-up area of 13,254 sq m. With a total capacity of 4400 persons, it comprises seven classrooms with capacity to accommodate 250 persons each, 11 classroomswith a seating capacity of 150 persons each and 24 classrooms that can accommodate the strength of 24 students.

Centralized heating, ventilation, air conditioning system (HVAC) caters to three buildings viz. Lecture Hall Complex-I & II and Convocation Hall with Chilled Water Cooling technology. The project cost is estimated at around INR 14.35 crores. The highlight of this project is the control through remote mode via the Building Management System (BMS) and its design for ensuring capacity optimization as well as energy efficiency through the latest technology.

A sewage treatment plant with a capacity of 3 MLD is located at Solani Kunj near the C-class club at the IIT Roorkee campus. The plant has a built-up area of 1800.00 sq.m, and its estimated construction cost is INR 27.73 crores. The STP uses the Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) process. The unique feature of IIT Roorkee STP is the additional odour control and advanced tertiary treatment facility due to its settling in the residential area. 

With a built-up area of 1800 sq. metres, the STP comprises a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) for the treatment of wastewater. It is equipped with PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition). The total cost of the STP project is approximately INR 27.73 crores.

Prof. Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee expressed his gratitude to Minister of Education and MoS for Education for sparing his precious time and inaugurating three important projects of the institute. We look forward to his continued blessings for the progress of IIT Roorkee , he added.

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MC/AKJ/AK