Bhubaneswar, Dec 23: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar successfully hosted the 2nd International Conference on Pollution Control for Clean Environment (ICPCCE 2025) on December 22–23, bringing together leading scientists, policymakers, academicians, and young researchers to deliberate on actionable solutions for air, water, and waste pollution—one of the most pressing challenges confronting society today.
Organised by the School of Infrastructure and the Department of Electrical Engineering, the two-day conference focused on translating cutting-edge research into actionable strategies for sustainable environmental management, in alignment with national priorities and global sustainability goals.
In his address, Prof. Arvind Kumar Nema, Deputy Director, IIT Delhi, urged researchers to move beyond academic outputs and become “impact-driven leaders,” highlighting how tools such as the Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI) have shaped industrial regulation and environmental governance in India, demonstrating the value of evidence-based research in policy action.
Prof. Makarand M. Ghangrekar, Director, NIT Puducherry, noted that the true success of conferences like ICPCCE lies in mentorship, interdisciplinary collaboration, and meaningful networking, particularly for early-career researchers, and encouraged young scholars to align their work closely with societal needs and regulatory priorities.
Addressing the gathering, Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar, Director, IIT Bhubaneswar, said, “IIT Bhubaneswar stands as a sanctuary where nature and innovation coexist amid growing environmental stress in urban India. With over 50,000 trees acting as a biological scrubber and a strict ban on single-use plastics, we are committed to controlling pollution at the source. The AQI, like a thermometer for the atmosphere, signals when corrective policy action can no longer be delayed.” He added that pollution control must go beyond air quality to include chemical and waste management, highlighting e-mobility and sustainable planning, and urged that “institutional campuses and cities alike must adopt integrated, preventive frameworks if the calm of the IIT Bhubaneswar campus is to become the national standard.”
Prof. Rajesh Roshan Dash, Convenor of the conference, delivered the welcome address in the inaugural session, while Dr. ManaswiniBehera briefed the audience about the objectives of the conference. The book of abstracts was released during the inaugural ceremony. Dr. Sankarsan Mahapatro proposed a vote of thanks.
ICPCCE 2025 featured keynote lectures, invited talks, technical sessions, and poster presentations covering advanced wastewater treatment, air pollution modelling, waste valorisation, circular economy approaches, environmental policy, and the application of artificial intelligence in pollution monitoring and control. The conference saw robust participation in both offline and online formats, reinforcing its international character.
The conference concluded with a collective resolve to strengthen science-led policy engagement, collaborative research, and sustainable technology deployment, reaffirming the role of academic institutions in addressing one of society’s most pressing environmental challenges.
