Olive Ridley turtles, a biogas plant that uses conduits made from recycled polythene, a hand-cranked rechargeable lantern, tigers and civil engineering! These diverse entities have a single degree of separation: 37 year-old Chandan Singh.
Singh, who heads the India office of the Toronto based Green Power Canada, started out in 1994, armed with a fresh degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Sri Jaichamrajendra College of Engineering (SJCE), University of Mysore. His first job was as a site engineer of HUDCO, Mysore. He went on to become Project Engineer and Chief Project Officer for FanucGE, a Japanese multinational at Bangalore, and for Resources & Results, Mysore,
He returned to his home-town Patna five years ago. In 2004, he became Chief of the first Greenpower office outside of Canada. Why the career switch?
“Its not a career switch, per se”, says Singh,” its more like I started giving more time to the environmental aspect after coming to Patna from Bangalore. Frankly, the engineering projects I was doing in Patna were repetitive in nature and were more of pen- pushing. I collaborated with Dr Bindeshwari Pathak of Sulabh International, and was developing a railway waste accumulation and storage for them, but the project was shelved. system During the same time Greenpower Canada contacted me and I started working on the Biogas projects. During this time I was developing a biogas plant which out of plastic or polythene sheets, and it was later successfully installed at Chandanchaturi and Laxmiposi villages near the Similipal tiger reserve. This plant, made totally from waste recycled material and polythene sheets, is probably the first one to be installed in India."
For those who know him, it was no surprise. Since he was a little boy, Chandan was into practical wildlife protection. He used to buy snakes from snake charmers and set them free at Patna zoo.
Since he made the conscious decision switch to environmental based services ( as a social entrepreneur) from his full time engineering based career, he has no regrets. “I get to do what I really like and that's made a huge difference .It’s good soul food and the work satisfaction is really great. I meet a lot of interesting people from all over the world, spend quality time in the wilderness, work at the grassroots level and can actually make a difference. It feels real good!”
The money factor for environmental-based projects? The pay packages are good, and if one starts early, it's compatible to the best in industry.
If one is passionate about environment and loves the outdoors, saving the world from itself has immense possibilities. “Students from Patna should take up environmental causes in their spare time. Students are the best vehicles of awareness and pro active involvement from them is going to pay rich dividends to the society and to themselves as well.
Chandan has also developed a project around hand-cranked lanterns which use white LED’s and a battery power source. Once charged, it gives 6 hours of reading light. It is designed for use in deep rural areas where there is no electricity.
“Environmental engineering is a part of Civil engineering, and after coming to Patna I am giving more time to the environmental aspect of my training than the construction and designing side, “ says Singh who is also a senior consultant with a Patna based construction firm. Environmental engineering is just like any other engineering course, and is offered by universities across India. It is basically a civil engineering curriculum with special emphasis on water treatment, air, soil and water pollution etc. One can go for a full degree course, or do a B.Sc in Environmental sciences. Apart from these, one can undertake vocational courses on environmental management, Forest management, Rural planning and development which are also useful if one wishes to pursue this as a career.
The world needs bright young minds to find solutions, to conserve resources and protect nature. Environmental Engineers and other streams related to protecting our planet are important and adventurous as well, he says.
Singh, who heads the India office of the Toronto based Green Power Canada, started out in 1994, armed with a fresh degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Sri Jaichamrajendra College of Engineering (SJCE), University of Mysore. His first job was as a site engineer of HUDCO, Mysore. He went on to become Project Engineer and Chief Project Officer for FanucGE, a Japanese multinational at Bangalore, and for Resources & Results, Mysore,
He returned to his home-town Patna five years ago. In 2004, he became Chief of the first Greenpower office outside of Canada. Why the career switch?
“Its not a career switch, per se”, says Singh,” its more like I started giving more time to the environmental aspect after coming to Patna from Bangalore. Frankly, the engineering projects I was doing in Patna were repetitive in nature and were more of pen- pushing. I collaborated with Dr Bindeshwari Pathak of Sulabh International, and was developing a railway waste accumulation and storage for them, but the project was shelved. system During the same time Greenpower Canada contacted me and I started working on the Biogas projects. During this time I was developing a biogas plant which out of plastic or polythene sheets, and it was later successfully installed at Chandanchaturi and Laxmiposi villages near the Similipal tiger reserve. This plant, made totally from waste recycled material and polythene sheets, is probably the first one to be installed in India."
For those who know him, it was no surprise. Since he was a little boy, Chandan was into practical wildlife protection. He used to buy snakes from snake charmers and set them free at Patna zoo.
Since he made the conscious decision switch to environmental based services ( as a social entrepreneur) from his full time engineering based career, he has no regrets. “I get to do what I really like and that's made a huge difference .It’s good soul food and the work satisfaction is really great. I meet a lot of interesting people from all over the world, spend quality time in the wilderness, work at the grassroots level and can actually make a difference. It feels real good!”
The money factor for environmental-based projects? The pay packages are good, and if one starts early, it's compatible to the best in industry.
If one is passionate about environment and loves the outdoors, saving the world from itself has immense possibilities. “Students from Patna should take up environmental causes in their spare time. Students are the best vehicles of awareness and pro active involvement from them is going to pay rich dividends to the society and to themselves as well.
Chandan has also developed a project around hand-cranked lanterns which use white LED’s and a battery power source. Once charged, it gives 6 hours of reading light. It is designed for use in deep rural areas where there is no electricity.
“Environmental engineering is a part of Civil engineering, and after coming to Patna I am giving more time to the environmental aspect of my training than the construction and designing side, “ says Singh who is also a senior consultant with a Patna based construction firm. Environmental engineering is just like any other engineering course, and is offered by universities across India. It is basically a civil engineering curriculum with special emphasis on water treatment, air, soil and water pollution etc. One can go for a full degree course, or do a B.Sc in Environmental sciences. Apart from these, one can undertake vocational courses on environmental management, Forest management, Rural planning and development which are also useful if one wishes to pursue this as a career.
The world needs bright young minds to find solutions, to conserve resources and protect nature. Environmental Engineers and other streams related to protecting our planet are important and adventurous as well, he says.
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