Say yes to refuse
With its focus on future environmental concerns, solid waste management is truly a field of tomorrow.
Vishal Gulati

Every society in the world today is faced with the challenge of waste management. However, many a time we really do not know what all constitutes waste. We might be discarding precious refuse by labelling it as waste. Instead of putting this resource to gainful use, our ignorance impels us to lose it.

It is rightly said: “Nothing in this universe is waste”. The challenge before society, the government and political groups to manage waste will gain momentum in the years to come.

Not a chance to waste

Thus, career options in environmental sciences are increasing in direct proportion to urbanisation. To help green minds understand and conserve our environment, the Centre for Environment and Vocational Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh, is starting a postgraduate course from this session. It is the only university in the country that has been selected by the University Grants Commission for a two-year M.Sc course in solid waste management.

Eligibility

For admission to M.Sc in solid waste management, the candidate must be a graduate in the science or engineering stream from a recognised university.

The admission will be made on the basis of marks obtained in the undergraduate examination.

With the changing lifestyle, waste generation is on the rise with every passing year. But the places to dispose it are limited. There are many examples of trans-border disposal of waste that many a time lead to dispute. Recently the Supreme Court prevented the entry of the French ship Clemenceau into the Indian waters, keeping in mind its potential to pollute.

In cities, the authorities are finding it hard to find places for the disposal of waste. Look at the electronic and automobile waste, the rate at which we discard obsolete instruments and machines is alarming. In such a scenario, the role of waste management experts become the most crucial.

Even the Ministry of Environment and Forests has launched an awareness campaign on solid waste management. For this, it has identified various organisations, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs), throughout the country.

Course content

The course is designed in such a way that the candidate can appreciate the relationship between waste and the environment. The students will get in-depth training in ecological principles, pollutants, characterisation and monitoring of solid waste, meteorological science, environmental auditing, assessment and basic statistics, conservation of life-support systems, energy environment and analytical techniques, management of municipal waste, hospital waste, hazardous waste, legislations and regulations at national and international levels, etc.

It pays to be eco-friendly

The initial remuneration of a junior research fellow in the state council for science and technology or pollution control board is Rs 7,500 per month plus house rent allowance (HRA). For a senior research fellow, the salary is Rs 9,000 per month plus HRA.

However, in NGOs the salary is between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 per month, depending upon the project.

A qualified postgraduate can pursue a career as a consultant, as industrial houses have started employing environment experts for guidance on the issue. Their demand is much more than their availability, says Dr Subhash Gupta, Senior Scientific Officer, Himachal State Council for Science and Technology.