The course in water quality will help the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, understand better the mitigation and adaptation strategies for waterborne diseases. It has collaborated with Tel Aviv University, Israel, and KMCH-Research Foundation, Coimbatore.
This course is designed to run for four months in hybrid mode on the NPTEL online platform targeted at final-year science and engineering students, and others with technical backgrounds who might have an interest in understanding the dynamics of water quality.
Participants will play a major role in mapping the water scene of India and the global landscape, greatly contributing towards increasing water literacy. Students will be given a certificate at the end, which may be counted towards their degree programmes through respective institutions, confirmed IITM.
Beginning with basic modules on the elemental issues of water quality, it will further extend into practical exercises involving surveys and field tests. This hands-on exposure shall orient the students in the direction of acquiring hard skills for assessing water quality.
Thalappil Pradeep, Professor in the Department of Chemistry, IITM, spoke about how the course would play its part in taking forward the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals on surmounting challenges related to management of water quality. He said a populace that is informed about the issues in water resources is essential for sustainable development.
The course curriculum is based on a pilot done successfully last summer at different locations in Tamil Nadu, like Chennai and Erode, with the participation of college students. The data collected as part of this campaign were collated to result in an online database of water quality parameters with geographical coordinates.
While inviting participation from citizens concerned about water quality, Professor Pradeep said that the course aimed at more than just training in water quality monitoring. "It was about building a workforce of the future professionals in water who could effectively tackle global water woes or at least be better prepared for it".
The program shows the commitment to the cause of equipping students and professionals with hands-on experience in water quality assessment and management for global sustainability from IIT Madras, Tel Aviv University, and KMCH-Research Foundation.
