Engineers of today will be architects of a sustainable tomorrow
Srinagar: Indian Buildings Congress (IBC), J&K Chapter, today organised a webinar to mark the 58th Engineer’s Day, commemorating the birth anniversary of the legendary engineer and Bharat Ratna awardee, Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya. The theme of the webinar was “Techade of Sustainability: Deep Tech & Green Growth.”
Welcoming the participants, Er. Aamir Ali, Chairman IBC J&K Chapter, said it was a privilege to join the nation in remembering Sir MV, whose pioneering contributions to irrigation, flood management, and nation-building remain timeless examples of engineering excellence. He emphasised that engineering is not only about technical skills but also about vision, ethics and service to society. Referring to this year’s theme, he noted that it reflects the urgent global call for engineers to lead in addressing climate change and sustainable development. He highlighted the importance of Artificial Intelligence, renewable energy, green construction materials and resilient infrastructure, stressing that innovation must always go hand in hand with responsibility.
Delivering the keynote address, Mutaharra Abida Waheed Deva, Climate Change Consultant and Policy Analyst, explained that the coming decade has been rightly termed the Techade of Sustainability, as rapid technological advances must be aligned with environmental responsibility. She elaborated that Deep Tech, including AI, IoT, blockchain, quantum computing, advanced materials and biotechnology, offers unprecedented opportunities to reimagine infrastructure, reduce emissions and optimise resources.
Defining Green Growth as an approach that decouples economic progress from environmental degradation, she stressed that it is not only an environmental imperative but also an economic opportunity for India. Deva underlined that India, with its Net Zero 2070 commitment, must reimagine its infrastructure, energy systems and industries through the lens of climate resilience. She said engineers are central to this transition, whether in scaling renewable power, developing EV ecosystems, innovating in green hydrogen or advancing carbon capture. She pointed out the role of engineering innovation in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially those on clean energy, resilient infrastructure, sustainable cities and climate action. She also spoke of India’s potential to become a $10 trillion green-led economy by 2035, capable of generating over 50 million green jobs by 2030. New domains such as climate data science, sustainable manufacturing, waste-to-wealth enterprises and biomedical waste management will emerge as employment frontiers. Highlighting inclusivity, she said women engineers have an important role to play in ensuring that sustainability solutions are both innovative and community-focused. She concluded by saying that the Techade belongs to those who engineer sustainability with innovation and excellence, urging young engineers to be the architects of India’s green transformation.
The webinar was attended by engineers, architects, planners, researchers and students from across Jammu and Kashmir and beyond. Prominent participants included Er. Aaquib Deva Chief Engineer PDD, Er. Masharab Gul Mufti Principal General Manager BSNL, Dr. Alok Kumar, Advisor Rural Works, Govt. of Bihar, Sabaat Riyaz Qureshi and Mohammad Salman Banday from CESA NIT Srinagar, Dr. Suehail Aijaz Shah from Kashmir College of Engineering and Technology (KCET), Adil Rashid Naqasdh CAO SSM College of Engineering Parisapora Masroor Ahmed Shah, Project Manager, Building Centre (H&UDD) Srinagar, Dr Sajad Hussain Director Academics Mechanical Engineering, Syed Parvez Ahmed DyGM National Highway Authority of India, Er Farooq Noor, Electrical Engineer, Senior Engineers from IBC Tripura, Er Irfan Shafi Parray & Er. Bhushan Lal Rawal from IBC J&K. Students and faculty from SSM College of Engineering Parihaspora, NIT Srinagar and SSM Polytechnics also actively participated. The event was organised in collaboration with the Civil Engineering Students Association (CESA) of NIT Srinagar.
