Conserving Flora and Fauna

The conservation of Flora and Fauna is considered one of the most pressing environmental concerns today.

• We have many good variety of birds in our campus which includes peacocks and few migratory cranes.
• Besides that, we also have different variety of trees.

Air Quality Monitoring Unit at Our Campus

Continuous Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAQMS) has been set up with the support of Telangana State Pollution Control Board as part of the National Clean Air Programme.

• The station has now been activated and the values are being displayed in near real-time (as 15 minute to 1-hour average values) at the main gate. Now the data being obtained is under observation by the third-party and they are meant to run the station [maintain/recalibrate the analyzers, probes and the electronics.
• The station instruments measure several criteria pollutants and trace gases: PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NOx, O3, NH3, CO along with some weather parameters such as wind direction, speed, temperature and relative humidity.

Generating Energy

IITH aims to become climate positive:

• At present, the Institute has established a solar power generation facility with a 1 MW capacity with a future target to increase it upto 3 MW.
• Wet waste on campus is also used to generate cooking fuel.
• The Institute also saves energy by using sensor-based systems to switch off lights during periods of non-use.
• Student housing on campus is cooled by passive radiant cooling techniques which also effectively reduce the campus’ energy demands. Radiant cooling is implemented in 6.0 lakh sqft to provide cooling providing thermal comfort at a reduced operational cost.

Promoting Climate-Friendly Transportation

• In 2021, IITH introduced EV-based transportation options on its campus, with shuttle services every 15 minutes that operate on the 3 km stretch between the institute’s main gate and its academic buildings.

Besides that, campus residents are encouraged to bicycle. Rent-free short term bicycle rentals are also available on the IITH campus.

Enhancing Local Biodiversity

IITH is committed to minimize its environmental footprint. The Institute has initiated a number of programs with this aim. These include:

• Starting October 2020, Monthly plantation drives that draw together the campus community in planting indigenous plant species in different parts of the campus have been carried out.
• First Saturday of every month has been identified as Plantation Day, which resulted in planting more than 15,000 plants with more than 100 varieties of species. Drip irrigation for all plants is being set up.
• IITH also seeks to minimize the use of harmful fertilizers and has established a vermicomposting facility on its campus.
• Single use plastics have been banned on campus.

Pursuing Cutting-edge Climate-related Interdisciplinary Research and Education

Faculty and students at IITH are engaged in internationally leading cutting-edge research and teaching programs focused on various aspects of climate change.

• The Institute was among the first to establish a Department of Climate Change that integrates knowledge and practice across the realms of climate sciences, engineering, and policy.
• Currently, IITH offers Master’s level programs focused on Climate Change, e-Waste Management, and Environmental Engineering and an undergraduate minor in Climate Change.
• Several facilities, such as the bio-digester unit are also used for pedagogical purposes, cultivating next-generation environmental leadership.

Seeding Climate Entrepreneurship and Leadership

IITH hosts an incubator facility to encourage student and faculty-led innovation. Climate-related innovation is strongly encouraged.

• IITH also hosts an Unnat Bharat Abhiyan cell and a Rural Development Center through which it coordinates a range of projects aimed at all-round development, including projects focused on environmental stewardship, in villages in IITH’s neighboring regions.
• In addition to contributing positively to the local society, these projects also foster contextually-sensitive environmental leadership among participating faculty and students.
• IITH also supports student clubs and other activities that foster climate leadership. For example, the Prakriti Club on campus.
• “BIODIVERSITY ON CAMPUS” was the theme identified for the Institute’s 2021 annual calendar, encouraging the campus community to contribute photographs from the campus that documented its biodiversity.

Through such measures, the Institute seeks to create an awareness for and appreciation of the campus’ ecological contexts among the IITH community.