Nagpur: “The National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) is actively working towards eliminating air and water pollutions in big cities. The pollution menace is being getting riddance by various research activities and the stress will be on the technology that uses reduced energy and is environment-friendly,” the newly-appointed Director of the pioneer laboratory in the field of environmental science and engineering Dr Rakesh Kumar said. He was addressing a press conference after taking the charge of office here on Tuesday.
Dr Rakesh Kumar further said, “The more the industrialisation of the cities the more the pollution proportion. Contamination of major rivers is a serious matter. The rejuvenation of Nag River in Nagpur is at centre-stage of NEERI,” the NEERI Director said and added that with the cooperation of Maharashtra Government a joint research has been undertaken by the NEERI and IIT-Mumbai. “A pollution-related study is being undertaken in ten cities of the State with stress being on Nagpur, Pune and Mumbai. The study is being conducted under the supervision of Maharashtra Government and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board,” Dr Rakesh Kumar stated.
NEERI is a research institute created and funded by Government of India. It was established in Nagpur in 1958 with focus on water supply, sewage disposal, communicable diseases and to some extent on industrial pollution and occupational diseases. NEERI updates the concerned institutes and authorities about its reports and recommendations on pollution-related aspects and environment. Now onwards, NEERI will pursue the institutes and authorities to ensure that its reports and recommendations are implemented in a proper manner, Dr Rakesh Kumar said.
NEERI has been given the responsibility by the Central Government to oversee River Ganga purification and reducing pollution under the ambitious ‘Namami Gange’ project. Similarly, the problem of solid waste being dumped in rivers is also being contemplated by setting up only one research group for the entire length of the river, the NEERI Director said.
