Amity University Haryana: A living laboratory model of Sustainability

To address challenges of environment and development, UN adopted ‘Agenda 2030’ to ensure SDGs are in line of the “quadruple helix model”. It entails linkages between government, academia, society, and business. An approach has been devised to develop academic institutions and new universities as living laboratories for sustainability. Amity University Haryana is the finest example of such a new university which is developing as a living laboratory of sustainability by adopting a multipronged approach including Nature Just Development, Green Building, Renewable Energy consumption, sustainability education, 3Rs approach of consumption and many more.

Amity University Haryana is located in the lap of Aravalli range; adopted a nature-just development approach without converting its natural terrain, native vegetation, and natural drainage that ensure maximum groundwater recharge. Within a decade of its formation, AUH campus is converted into green hub in this semi-arid region. University buildings are LEED Platinum certified; highest global rating for green building by GBCI and US Green Building Council (first university building in India and 2nd only in Asia) with many passive features that minimize heat regime and reduce energy consumption. Extensive plantation of notable native vegetation (Sahtut, Kikad, Lasoda, Neem, Ficus, Amaltash, Chakresia, Tikoma, Pipal along with fruit and nut-bearing trees) ensure biodiversity intact and ensure critical ecosystem services including groundwater recharge which is reflected in birds (more than 140 avifauna of native and migratory) and butterfly diversity in campus.

University also ensures well-defined SOP for waste management including segregation, collection and disposal. A small unit of biogas plant and the composting plant is operational to manage dairy and other organic waste and provide bio-manure. Similarly, to manage waste water 160 KLD STP and ETP are operational. To ensure maximum recharge of groundwater, large number of natural drainage, as well as rainwater harvesting infrastructure, has been integrated into development plan, that make AUH a zero discharge campus as treated water is further utilized as gardening, irrigation and grey water flushing.

University supplements its energy with solar energy substantially through rooftop solar PVC, along with LED lighting (at present more than half lighting is LED based, with plan to make 100% LED lighting in next five years) and efficient wiring which further reduce greenhouse footprint and air pollution load in campus. To minimize the carbon footprint of campus, university is mandated to achieve carbon neutrality (including direct emission, indirect emission through purchased energy as well a few items from indirect sources) in phase-wise manner by 2028 by installing solar PV plant and the process has been started. At present 500kWh capacity solar plant (ground and rooftop) provides 17% of the total energy consumption of the university. AUH has developed with Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) a well-equipped air quality monitoring station on 24*7 basis that monitor 22 different parameters including 8 pollutants of Air Quality, several organic species, trace gases and weather parameters. Atmospheric turbidity is monitored by Nephelometer. AUH is also a field monitoring station of NASA for monitoring of optical, radioactive and physico-chemical states of the atmosphere with help of muti-spectral Sun-Sky Radiometer. Amity University Haryana with well equipped monitoring facility gives control/background data for comparing air quality status of urban areas including Delhi and Gurgaon. Air quality status of campus is critically better throughout year as compared to Delhi and Gurgaon. Although campus is very near to NH8 and in the way of wind that brought desert sand to NCR periodically but natural green cover provide blanket for particulate matter that reflects in better air quality status of campus.

Air Research facility at University is mainstreaming Air pollution and Atmospheric turbidity study. Both are linked with climatic condition, land use and its vicinity with Thar Desert and populous Delhi-Gurgaon zone. Monitoring of 22 significant chemical species of Air pollutant including eight necessary parameters of AQI (Air Quality Index) shows a significant low AQI usually fall between 0-50 and 50-100 grade, while Delhi and adjoining areas hardly observe Good status for AQI. PM2.5 is dominating parameters in Delhi AQI while PM10 dominates in AUH campus; which is a clear indication of pollution sources. In Delhi and adjoing urban areas, has been showing continuous rise in PM2.5 concentration, which is directly associated with CNG based transportation, while significance of PM10 in AUH campus is linked to surface dust and desert wind that too get regulated by creation of bio-shield of native vegetation in AUH campus.

Atmospheric turbidity study is also very critical for understanding of elevated air pollution in Delhi NCR. NASA based facility provide Aerosol optical depth; vertical concentration of total aerosol and ozone concentration. This monitoring gives idea about dust strome across the region. Since area between NCR and Thar desert are facing rapid loss of natural vegetation cover due to rampart mining and land use change; leading to increase in frequency and intensity of dust strome sources from Thar Desert. Dust stromes significantly elevate the AQI of Delhi-NCR and posing a threat of desertification to these areas. So study of atmospheric turbidity at AUH campus is very significant for Air pollution and desertification study.

Amity University Haryana has created an exclusive niche for Environment Education and research by developing world class infrastructure for Air pollution study in particular along with integrating it into teaching pedagogy, so that students not only become sensitive to environment but ready to take challenge for providing solution for contemporary challenges. Environmental study (Core course for all UG programmes) and Environmental Management and Climate Science (Minor degree) are offered along with B.Sc in Earth Science/Geology (First among private university to offer), and M.Sc in Environmental Science & Management and M.Tech Solar energy. Recently in collaboration with Presidio Graduate School university offers MBA in Sustainability Management; a unique program in the Indian education landscape with the aim to mainstream sustainability education in professional programs. The extensive field-based study is an inherent part of these programmes; an approach of ‘see-learn-apply’, which brings students more closure to nature. Students are engaged with campus-based assignments and research projects in area of environment, pollution, biodiversity and waste management in UG and PG levels in line of experiential learning for better output and to provide solutions for contemporary environmental challenges including Air Pollution.

Amity University Haryana meets the challenges of sustainability by adopting best practices with help of maintaining campus as a natural landscape with an optimal disturbance that is basic for maximum productivity by blending traditional wisdom, technology and its stockholder’s perspective. On the occasion of world environment day, AUH presents itself as a living laboratory of sustainability.