CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur

CSIR-NEERI, as the Stockholm Convention Regional Centre (SCRC-India), organised a workshop on ‘POPs and Chemicals of Concern (CoC) in Products’ on 28 April 2026 at Manak Bhavan, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Delhi. The workshop was organised as part of the ongoing GEF-UNEP funded project on National Implementation Plan (NIP) Update for India.

The workshop aimed to raise awareness of POPs and other CoCs in consumer products, and the need to revise and formulate new standards to minimise the risks posed by hazardous chemicals.

Dr S K Goyal, Chair, CSIR-NEERI Delhi Regional Centre welcomed the participants and recalled the role of CSIR-NEERI in providing scientific inputs to BIS in the formulation of standards. Ms Suneeti Toteja, Scientist-F, BIS in her opening remarks, thanked CSIR-NEERI for organising the workshop for BIS officials.

Shri Sanjay Pant, Deputy Director General (DDG) BIS, in his inaugural address, spoke about BIS’s efforts to develop several standards for chemical products based on scientific data. Ms Reena Garg, DDG, BIS emphasised the need for scientific studies on chemical exposure from products, so that BIS will work on developing standards.

Dr A Ramesh Kumar, Scientist-E, CSIR-NEERI spoke on ‘Global chemicals management, evolving regulatory frameworks, and suggested BIS to revise/develop new standards based on the findings of the NIP project’. Dr Devendra Kumar Patel, Scientist-G, CSIR-IITR, Lucknow spoke on the PFAS content in several products, environmental media, and stressed the need for drinking water standards. About 60 BIS officials participated in the workshop.

POPs SCRCIndia ChemicalSafety NIPIndia EnvironmentalProtection

CSIR-NEERI Kolkata Regional Centre commemorated Earth Day 2026 with a one-day student outreach programme held on 27th April 2026. The event engaged around 20 post-graduate students from Asutosh College and Ballygunge Science College, University of Calcutta, aiming to promote environmental awareness and scientific learning.

The programme began with a laboratory visit, where students interacted with scientists and research scholars, gaining hands-on exposure to advanced instrumentation and techniques used in environmental monitoring and analysis.

This was followed by an invited guest lecture by Dr. Jhimli Bhattacharyya, Associate Professor, NIT Nagaland, who shared valuable insights on environmental sustainability and region-specific challenges in Nagaland. Her talk actively engaged participants and led to thoughtful discussions.

NITNagaland

A group of 54 B.Sc. Nursing students from Suretech College of Nursing, Nagpur, visited CSIR-NEERI to understand the interconnection between environmental factors and human health. They learned about preventive measures and interventions to mitigate the health effects of environmental pollutants and were exposed to ongoing environmental research. The visit also equipped them with knowledge and skills to address environmental health issues. The students toured the testbed facility, including UCCW, sanitation systems, and plants of environmental importance.

PublicHealth SustainableEnvironment

Dr. Amit Bansiwal, Scientist G and Chair of Environmental Materials and Sustainable Systems, delivered an insightful talk on “Bridging Technology, Policy, and Circularity for Sustainable Critical Mineral Recovery” during the 37th Foundation Day celebration of Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC), Nagpur.

In his address, he emphasized the growing importance of integrating advanced technologies, supportive policy frameworks, and circular economy principles to ensure sustainable recovery of critical minerals. He highlighted how the global transition toward clean energy and advanced manufacturing is intensifying the demand for these minerals, making efficient recovery and resource circularity essential.

Dr. Bansiwal also shared key initiatives and research activities being undertaken at CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) in the domain of critical mineral recovery. These efforts focus on developing sustainable, scalable, and economically viable solutions for extracting valuable elements from diverse waste streams, contributing to both environmental protection and resource security.

SustainableTechnology ResourceRecovery CleanEnergy

MD students from Department of Community Medicine, K.M.S.K. Government Medical College, Chandrapur, during their visit to CSIR-NEERI, gained valuable insights into the linkages between environmental factors and public health. The visit provided a broader understanding of how environmental research supports disease prevention and health promotion. The students were exposed to key areas such as environmental monitoring, water technology and management, waste and wastewater management, and sanitation systems. They also visited the testbed facility, where Dr. Ritesh Vijay, Scientist & Chair, Wastewater Management, briefed them on the Up-flow Compact Constructed Wetland (UCCW), an efficient and cost-effective solution for decentralized sewage treatment, along with ongoing R&D initiatives in the domain.

SustainableSolutions KMSKGovtMedicalCollegeChandrapur

Dr. Ankit Gupta represented CSIR-NEERI at the 6th WasteTech India Forum 2026, where he participated in the panel discussion on ‘Enabling Circular Electronics & Battery Value Chains: From Design to Responsible Consumption.’

The session underscored the imperative to transition from a recycling-centric approach to a value-retention framework, with a strong focus on design for circularity and responsible consumption.

During the discussion, Dr. Gupta highlighted the need to embed repairability at the design stage, strengthen secondary markets through robust techno-economic frameworks, integrate informal collection systems with formal mechanisms, and advance circularity that is environmentally sound, economically viable, and systemically integrated.

CSIRNEERI

Dr. V. K. Chaurasia, Adviser (I/c), Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, visited CSIR-NEERI to discuss preparatory requirements for developing an integrated Technology Test Bed in Nagpur. During the visit, he held discussions with Dr. S. Venkata Mohan, Director, CSIR-NEERI and CSIR-NEERI scientists. He also visited Nagpur Municipal Corporation to align efforts for implementation.

CPHEEO, as the central advisory body, provides guidance to State agencies and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) on the implementation, operation, and maintenance of urban water supply, sanitation, and solid waste management systems, while promoting the adoption of advanced technologies. Dr. Chaurasia outlined the CPHEEO framework for technology screening, selection by the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Expert Committee, and subsequent validation and certification.

Key technical presentations were made during the visit. Dr. K. V. George, Scientist G presented an AI-integrated GIS-based Line Source Emission Inventory (LSEI) Dashboard designed to identify emission hotspots and support effective air quality management. Dr. Asheesh Sharma, Scientist F highlighted digital solutions for water management.

Dr. Chaurasia also visited the Testbed Facility at CSIR-NEERI, including the Up-flow Compact Constructed Wetland (UCCW) for sewage treatment and the CN-COMPO composting system. The visit further included an overview of scientific and technological achievements showcased at the Harit Sangrahalaya. Dr. Ritesh Vijay coordinated the visit.

UrbanInnovation SustainableInfrastructure PIB_India

Fifty-three Class 8 students from Bhonsala Sainik School, Nagpur participated in an educational programme at CSIR-NEERI under the CSIR Jigyasa initiative. The students were introduced to key environmental themes including air quality monitoring, water treatment, waste management, and waste-to-wealth approaches. They also learned about plants of environmental significance and their role in sustainability. Interactive sessions with scientists enabled the students to engage on various environmental issues, fostering curiosity and awareness about science-based solutions for environmental protection.

CSIR-NEERI, Nagpur organized a Green Skill Training Program on “Artificial Intelligence & High-Performance Computing for Environmental Studies” (Apr 23–24, 2026) under CSIR-Integrated Skill Initiative. Dr. S. Venkata Mohan, Director, CSIR-NEERI emphasized big data, predictive modelling, AI & HPC. Chief Guest Prof. Rishi Narain Singh, IIT Gandhinagar (Former Director, CSIR-NEERI; ex-CSIR-4PI & CSIR-NGRI) spoke on “Complexity in Environmental Systems”.

Dr. Harshvardhan Singh, Scientist-G & In-charge, SDC; Dr. Shashikant Sadistap, Scientist-G & Chair, EIDS; and Dr. Rajesh Biniwale, Scientist-F & Chair, CEPE addressed participants. Delegates from multiple states participated. Sessions covered AI in air, water, waste, digital twins, IoT, GIS & climate applications.

Expert talks: Prof. Umesh Deshpande (VNIT); Dr. K.V. George, Scientist-G; Dr. Asheesh Sharma, Scientist-F; Dr. Poonam Shivdutt Kumar, Scientist-E; Dr. Debishree Khan, Scientist-D; Dr. Piyush Kokate, Scientist-E; Dr. Dinesh Lingote, Scientist-E; Dr. Shalini Dhyani, Scientist-E; Dr. Suvha Lama, Scientist-D, CSIR-NEERI; Prof. Mayuri Diggalwar & Prof. Jitendra (IIIT)

Valedictory: Dr. S. Venkata Mohan, Prof. Rishi Narain Singh, Dr. Shashikant Sadistap & Dr. Harshvardhan Singh; certificates distributed.
SustainableDevelopment SkillIndia GreenSkillDevelopment

Dr. Jampala Annie Modestra, working as a DST-INSPIRE Faculty at CSIR-NEERI Hyderabad Regional Centre, delivered an invited talk on ‘Bioelectrochemical process innovations for sustainable upcycling of waste and CO₂ into biobased products: Towards a circular bioeconomy’ during a technical session at the 4th International Conference on Recent Trends in Material Science & Devices (ICRTMD-2026). The conference was organized by the Department of Physics, JVMGRR College, Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, from 6–8 April 2026. She also chaired a technical session during the conference.

Her work, presented under the invited speaker category, was recognised with the Best Paper Presentation Award, conferred as “Best Paper” among all the papers presented at the conference.


WomenInScience CSIR_IND