PU Organises a Workshop on “Strengthening Reliable and Sustainable Water Treatment Strategies in Urban Areas of Haryana”

Chandigarh, February 27, 2026: The Department of Chemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh, organised a workshop titled “Strengthening Reliable and Sustainable Water Treatment Strategies in Urban Areas of Haryana” under the project “Developing a Policy Framework for Reliable and Sustainable Water Treatment Strategies in Urban Areas of Haryana”, led by Prof. Ganga Ram Chaudhary and supported by the State Support Mission, Haryana and NITI Aayog.

The event was graced by Prof. Meenakshi Goyal, Director, Research and Development Cell (RDC), Panjab University, as Chief Guest. Dr. Manish Hooda, Director, National Semiconductor Mission, Government of India, and Dr. Neeru, Joint Director, Swarna Jayanti Haryana Institute for Fiscal Management (SJHIFM), Sh. Rahul Singla (Team lead, SSM), and Dr. Amita Rani (Sector Expert Economics and Finance) SJHIFM were Guests of Honour, along with senior officials and academic leaders.

In her address, Dr. Neeru highlighted the importance of linking water management strategies with strong policy frameworks and financial planning. She emphasised that sustainable wastewater treatment is not only an environmental issue but also a governance and budgeting priority for the state.

Speaking in the presence of Prof. Meenakshi Goyal, appreciated Panjab University’s role as a lead knowledge institution in supporting policy framework development for the state.

Earlier, the programme began with the Prof. D.S. Gill Memorial Lecture, Prof. Narinder Singh from IIT Ropar delivered a lecture on “Materials for Water Purification and Quality Monitoring,” highlighting advanced materials and sensor technologies for real-time water assessment.

Dr. Manish Hooda delivered a keynote talk on “Role of Water in Semiconductor Industries,” emphasising that water is a strategic raw material for semiconductor manufacturing. He discussed the high-water demand of semiconductor fabrication plants and the need for strong water recycling systems and regulatory preparedness if Haryana aims to attract such high-technology industries.

An invited lecture by Dr. Aviru Kumar Basu from INST Mohali focused on nanoscale-based sensing and IoT-integrated flexible sensors for water treatment applications. The workshop also included oral and poster presentations by researchers.

The panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Komal and Dr. Prerna, brought together experts from academia, industry, and government departments. The discussion focused on operational challenges in wastewater management, including high capital costs, energy consumption, infrastructure gaps, and technical limitations.

Experts stressed the importance of proper operation of STPs, safe discharge practices, groundwater monitoring in industrial districts of Haryana and better use of CSR funds for research and environmental innovation.