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L&T CEO & MD Mr S N Subrahmanyan with the Dhubri Phulbari Bridge project team after inaugurating the atmospheric water generator.
Mr S N Subrahmanyan drinking water from the atmospheric water generator at the Dhubri Phulbari Bridge project.
How an L&T project site in north-east India is generating drinking water from the atmosphere What do the ancient Incas community, the Stenocara gr acilipes beetle and the L&T team constructing India’s longest river bridge project in north-east India have in common? All three perfected the art and science of generating water from the air! The 19-km Dhubri-Phulbari Bridge project in Assam that L&T started constructing in 2021, will be the world’s longest extradosed cable- stayed bridge and India’s longest river bridge. A problem that the project team initially faced was the scarcity of drinking water. In addition to water scarcity and contaminated ground water, it is often difficult to transport water as the project locations are inaccessible. To address the pressing issue, the L&T team resorted to something innovative: they decided to try out an atmospheric water generator. Accordingly, a demo atmospheric water generator, customised to L&T’s requirements, was procured and a pilot test was conducted at one of L&T offices in Mumbai. The water generated by the machine met every Indian Standard (IS) specification and was found suitable for drinking. As the name suggests, the atmospheric water generator draws water vapour from the atmosphere. The air is filtered, and a condensation unit receives the humid airflow from the evaporator. The condensation unit then removes the heat from the humid airflow, which cools it down and converts it into water. This process is called atmospheric condensation. The water is then purified through a four-step filtration process. Its power consumption depends upon the geographic location and the machine’s configuration. Ticking the boxes of scalability, replicability and sustainability, the atmospheric water generator was deemed the best solution for the Dhubri-Phulbari Bridge project. Thus, a machine was procured for over Rs 9.13 lakh and installed at the project site. L&T CEO & MD Mr S N Subrahmanyan inaugurated the water generator on 29 April this year and dedicated it to the workforce at the project. Generating 1,000 litres of water per day, the machine is now quenching the thirst of 100-odd people simply from thin air. The machine has several salient features. It produces drinking water (with minerals) and can also be customised to meet specific needs. It lasts for 15 years and carries a 10- year warranty on components. If integrated with renewable power sources, a user can take carbon credits as well. Best of all, the water wastage is nil as compared to reverse osmosis, wherein around thrice the water produced is wasted. Not only at project sites, but the atmospheric water generator can also be installed at residential and commercial premises facing water scarcity.
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Mr S Jagannathan, L&T (6th from right) exchanging the MoU with IISc Director Prof G Rangarajan, IISc Registrar Capt Sridhar Warrier and GITAM Pro Vice Chancellor Prof M S Mohan Kumar in the presence of Dr Vijaysai Prasad (L&T) and other dignitaries.
L&T, IISc and GITAM to undertake R&D in the water domain To address the water challenges facing India, the Water Technology Centre of L&T’s Water & Effluent Treatment (WET) vertical has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) to carry out joint research in the water domain. The collaboration will facilitate development of scalable and sustainable solutions through workshops, conferences, training courses, internships and sponsored research programmes. Commenting on this, Mr S Jagannathan (VP & Chief Technology Officer – WET) said: “Working closely with the research experts of IISc and GITAM, we aim to collaborate on topics like waste to value, non-revenue water, water management, hydraulic studies, implementation of digital solutions, reuse of water, etc. This coming together will help us strengthen process improvements, optimise energy consumption, reduce carbon footprint, and innovate customised technology solutions for India’s most pressing water challenges.” IISc Director Prof Govindan Rangarajan observed that this is a key partnership between the academia and the industry, paving the way for leveraging expertise and resources to develop cutting-edge water solutions. GITAM’s Pro Vice Chancellor Prof M S Mohan Kumar said that they were excited to partner in this initiative of national import to create impactful solutions and contribute to India’s development. Headed by Dr Vijaysai Prasad, L&T’s Water Technology Centre is located at Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu and houses highly specialised R&D facilities in the entire gamut of water – including biosolids management, value recovery from waste, and membrane technology innovations. It was set up to catalyse and help transform L&T’s WET vertical into a digitally- driven, process-centred, total solutions provider in water. IISc is a centrally funded technical institution, a deemed-to-be university and an autonomous body funded by the Central Education Ministry. Inked in March, the momentous collaboration affirms L&T’s ever-growing focus on sustainable business by exploring ways and means to solve the pressing problems faced by the public at large.
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Some of the transplanted trees at L&T Valves’ Kancheepuram campus.
L&T’s Kancheepuram campus shows how conservation and development can walk hand-in-hand Global warming and climate change endanger life on earth. It is imperative to alleviate this situation by taking sustainable measures. Playing a crucial role in mitigating the effects of global warming, trees absorb carbon dioxide, bringing down the temperature. Therefore, afforestation and reforestation are necessary to tackle global warming and climate change. Earlier this year, L&T Valves decided to set up a new manufacturing line at its campus in Tamil Nadu’s Kancheepuram. However, the location selected for this was home to around 75 trees - including black plum, portia, java olive, copper pod, Spanish cherry, neem, Indian beech, coconut and areca palms. Rather than axing the trees, L&T Valves decided to transplant them at other locations on the campus. It formed a team to collaborate with experts and map the individual shifting and handling requirement for each tree, based on their nature and complexity. The team took up the challenge with great enthusiasm. The process commenced on 20 April with the trimming of tree branches to a third of their original size for ease of transplantation and to ensure stability afterwards. Next, the trees were carefully uprooted ensuring that the roots are intact. The destination pits were dug large enough to accommodate the root ball. The pits were filled with layers of red soil, manure, coco peat and coir dust to provide the necessary nutrition. After positioning the trees, the pits were filled with river sand, red soil and manure till the roots were fully packed. The entire transplantation process was completed on 28 April. The success rate of tree-transplantation depends on various factors – including species, size, health and adaptability of the trees and environmental conditions. In about two months, 65% of the transplanted trees began sprouting. The team is now working hard to improve the survival rate. This is a real-life example of how conservation and development can walk hand-in-hand towards the common goal of shaping a sustainable future.
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Picking plastic litter off Rajodi Beach, north Mumbai
Around 100 kg plastic litter was collected, a job well done!
Three L&T entities joined hands to lend nature a hand To mark World Environment Day, three L&T entities – the Leadership Development Academy (LDA), Corporate Technology & Engineering Academy (CTEA) Madh, and Navjeevan Hostel at Mulund in Mumbai – came together to undertake green initiatives. Aligning with this year’s global theme #BeatPlasticPollution, they undertook a drive to move away from the use-&-throw culture to the practice of reuse-recycle. This to remind everyone that the copious and unwarranted use of plastic is causing irreparable damage to our oceans, soil and forests. The team went to the Rajodi Beach on the Vasai-Virar coastal belt to the north of Mumbai and initiated a clean-up drive. Rolling up their sleeves, they collected about 100 kg plastic litter from the beach and also sensitised the beachgoers against littering the beach with plastic waste. The waste collected was disposed of in bins provided by the local civic body. This apart, several other green activities were organised at LDA, CTEA and Navjeevan Hostel to raise awareness. Native trees were planted, seeds distributed, the awareness pledge taken, and recycled writing pads and reusable cork tea glasses were distributed. From mindless use to meaningful utilisation of plastic and adoption of reusable alternatives are key to beat the menace of plastic pollution.
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