Van Mahotsav, celebrated every year, is a green initiative started by campus residents of IIT Bombay. On this day, staff, faculty, students and residents come together to plant saplings at designated spots on campus. Van Mahotsav was held at 10 am on Sunday, July 28 this year at the Lake Side road near the Jal Vihar guest house in IIT Bombay.
On the occasion, Chief Guest Mr Abhijit Bangar, Additional Municipal Commissioner, BMC spoke on the relevance of planting indigenous species of plants and the importance of preserving older trees during any construction activity. He encouraged the student participants to develop an interest in building a greener and sustainable environment.
IIT Bombay Deputy Director (Academic and Infrastructural Affairs) Prof. Milind Atrey, Deputy Director (Finance and External Affairs) Prof. K.V.K. Rao, Dean (Strategy) Prof. K.P. Kaliappan, Dean (Infrastructure, Planning and Support (IPS)) Prof. Vedagiri Perumal, Associate Dean (IPS - 3) Prof. Anurag Garg, Associate Dean (IPS - 1) Prof. Venkata Santosh Kumar Delhi, faculty, staff, students along with teachers and students of Kendriya Vidhyalaya and Campus School planted 400 saplings during the event at the Lake Side road near the Jal Vihar guest house at IIT Bombay campus.
Cultural performances by the students of Campus School and Kendriya Vidyalaya, highlighting the importance of trees in our lives, were much appreciated by the gathering. The event was organized by the Horticulture section of the Estate Office, IIT Bombay, which takes due care of the saplings planted at Van Mahotsav throughout the year. In the wake of the campus’s restructuring/ redevelopment and expansion, such an initiative is important for all who treasure the campus’s greenery.
The celebration of Van Mahotsav is not limited to the IIT Bombay campus. The student team of Abhyudaya had organised a tree plantation drive, Green Earth Campaign, in the Marol area, Mumbai on the same day. They planted 1500 saplings of 56 varieties with the help of local volunteers. This initiative aimed to promote environmental sustainability, enhance biodiversity and combat climate change by enriching our green cover.
In order to ensure sustainable development throughout, IIT Bombay adopts green practices that promote an environmentally friendly ambiance on campus and develop a sense of responsibility among the residents towards environmental conservation. In line with the environmental, social and safety aspects, work on the following initiatives are ongoing under the office of Dean (Infrastructure, Planning and Support (IPS)):
Environmental Impact:
- Environmental education
- Environmental research
- Awareness Programmes
- Approaches towards zero carbon emissions (such as Sustainable transport and mobility, Water conservation and wastewater recycling, Solid waste treatment and recycling, Energy conservation, Renewable Power and Net Zero, Sustainable infrastructure development, Road cleaning)
- Creation and Maintenance of green cover and landscaping
- Biodiversity management
- Handling, storage and disposal of hazardous materials and wastes
Social Impact:
- Equity and well-being of campus residents
- Improved housekeeping activities
The new sustainability policy of IIT Bombay is available at: