Srinagar, Jul 7 (NVI): Commissioner Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, Mandeep Kaur, on Tuesday visited the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) to review its green campus initiatives and explore the possibility of adopting similar sustainable practices in urban development projects across Jammu and Kashmir.
Accompanied by Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Commissioner Faz Lul Haseeb, Kaur inspected the university’s sustainability infrastructure, including its zero-waste campus model, rainwater harvesting systems, sewage treatment plants (STPs) and plastic waste management facilities.
During a review meeting with SKUAST-K Vice Chancellor Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai and senior officials, discussions were held on preparing a roadmap to strengthen and expand green campus initiatives while integrating nature-based solutions and resource-efficient technologies into future urban infrastructure projects.
Kaur appreciated the university’s efforts in water conservation, wastewater treatment and waste recycling, saying these initiatives could serve as a model for sustainable urban planning across the Union Territory.
She said the government intends to incorporate scalable green practices, including efficient STP management and scientific plastic waste management systems, into upcoming public infrastructure projects to promote environmentally sustainable and resilient urban spaces.
Kaur also stressed the importance of collaboration between academic institutions and government departments to foster innovation-driven environmental governance.
Ganai reaffirmed the university’s commitment to providing technical expertise and institutional support to the Housing and Urban Development Department for implementing sustainable initiatives.
Officials said the proposed roadmap aims to institutionalise green governance and make sustainability a key component of public infrastructure planning in Jammu and Kashmir.—(NVI)
