Greener Pastures For ECO CAREERS
A World Concerned About Climate Change & Pollution Is Seeing Even Top Firms Offer Jobs To Environment Graduates ………Hemali Chhapia
Mumbai: When the first moon rocks arrived for analysis at the citys premier Institute of Science in the early 1970s, director B C Haldar involved several students, including those pursuing environmental science (EVS), in the work.
After the experience of working with pioneers like
Haldar, former head of the environmental science department at the institute, Narendra Thakkar, said, Environmental science (EVS) is an inter-disciplinary subject.
Haldar, former head of the environmental science department at the institute, Narendra Thakkar, said, Environmental science (EVS) is an inter-disciplinary subject.
Some pioneering work this institute did involved the biological magnification of the food chain, mercury pollution in Thane creek, biological monitoring of pollution and the contamination of crops by heavy metals. All this requires knowledge not just of EVS, but also chemical analysis and biology. With the Supreme Court directing institutions across the country to introduce EVS, all colleges offer the subject and universities offer a masters programme. The growing importance of the subject is seeing several institutions offer shortterm courses in EVS as also diplomas in environment management.
SIES, Nerul has started a centre for environment management and offers a postgraduate diploma in the subject and an MSc in EVS. Faculty member Rupali Zele said that besides studying the fundamentals of environment, students explore natural resources, ecology, pollution detection and technical aspects, like environment impact assessment.
Growing awareness in this area has seen her graduates get offers from top companies. Last year, said Zele, all her students were placed, either for designing and developing treatment systems or as environment consultants.
After the UN convention on climate change, industry is also hiring officers to run Clean Development Mechanism projects. Said Zele, These officers work on reducing carbon emissions in companies and are well versed with trading carbon credits.
Those keen on animal welfare or plant care can study veterinary science or botany. Dr Shalaka Salvekar, surgeon, Bombay Veterinary College, said that besides clinical subjects, the relation between animals, animal products and man is gaining importance. Bird flu and anthrax are seeing vets involved in a huge way, she added. Graduates can become food inspectors. The pharmacology and microbiology firms, as also NGOS, also take vets. Besides the new areas, environmental engineering has graduated from being a subsection of civil or chemical engineering. The Kolhapur Institute of Technology offers this course to undergraduates. Head of the department, R A Nikam, said the course teaches about treatment plants and monitoring pollution.
More recently, institutions are teaching urban and rural planning, energy conservation, disaster mitigation, remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems.
The added courses show that the scope is expanding. An expert said, The scope of EVS will one day go beyond the skies. Even literally.