Experiential visit by DYD students of SMVDU to Baba Dhansar Water Plant bridges theory with real-world water management practices

KATRA: The students of Design Your Degree (DYD) program of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) visited the Water Filtration and Distribution Plant at Baba Dhansar, with the objective of understanding the technical part of the process and to get sensitized regarding thesocial and economic aspects of water filtration and distribution.

The visit was in connectionwith the project being undertaken by the students, under the supervision of the mentors Prof.Sumeet Gupta and Dr. Sakshi Arora, Associate Professor, to propose a public awarenesscampaign regarding water conservation.The visit was facilitated by Prof. Sharada M. Potukuchi, Nodal Officer, DYD program, Mr.Kamal Sharma, University Engineer, SMVDU and Mr. Deep Mahajan, AEE, PHE, Katra.During the visit, Mr. Ankit, AE, PHE provided the students with an in-depth understanding ofthe plant’s operational processes, including water filtration, pumping mechanisms, and theoverall distribution network.

The students were also apprised of the economicaspects involved in maintaining the water supply system and were sensitized to the criticalimportance of waterconservation in the context of sustainable resource management. Thestudents actively engaged in discussions, clarified their queries, and visited the variousoperational units of the plant, such as the pumping station, filtration unit, and distributionpoints.

The exposure provided them with a practical understanding of the end-to-end process— from water collection at the catchment area to the delivery of clean, treated water to cityconsumers.Prof. Sharada emphasized that such experiential visits play a vital role in bridging theoretical knowledge with real-world applications and not only enhance students’ awareness of the technical and economic dynamics of essential infrastructure but also promote a sense ofresponsibility towards judicious and sustainable use of water resources. On behalf of theDYD team and students, she expressed her thanks to Prof. Pragati Kumar, Vice Chancellor,SMVDU for encouraging and motivating the team to organize such events for activeparticipation of university students in identification of day-to-day societal activities