Manipal, October 16: The Department of Chemical Engineering at Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal, Karnataka organized a Two-day National Level Conference on ‘Advanced Materials for Environmental Sustainability-AMES-2023’ on 12^th and 13th of October 2023. The event was sponsored by ONGC-MRPL Ltd, BASF Ltd, and MCF Ltd. Mangaluru. As a part of the event AMES-2023, technical paper presentations, poster presentations and invited guest talks were organized. More than thirty participants from both Manipal and other locations presented their technical papers or posters.

The AMES 2023 conference commenced with its inauguration function, led by Professor N.N. Sharma, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor Strategy and Planning of MAHE, who was the Chief Guest. The event was graced by Guests of Honour Dr. Nitin Labhsetwar, Chief Scientist at the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) Nagpur, and Mr. H.C. Sathyanaryana, GGM Technical Services at MRPL Mangalore. Professor Somashekara Bhat, Joint Director of MIT Manipal, presided over the function. Professor Balakrishna Prabhu, the Organizing Secretary and Head of the Chemical Engineering Department welcomed the gathering and Associate Professor Harshini Dasari, the Conference Convener proposed the vote of thanks.

During the event, the speakers emphasized the pivotal role of materials/nanomaterials, energy, and biofuels in environmental sustainability. On the first day of the conference, Dr. Nithin Labhsetwar, Chief Scientist at NEERI, delivered the keynote address on the topic ‘Low-cost materials for cleaner energy and environmental applications.’ During his speech, Dr. Labhsetwar emphasized the crucial role of materials in the context of the environment and sustainability. Mr. Vishnu Sharma, Director of Aapaavani Environmental Solutions, Mangalore, delivered the second guest talk titled “Exploring Nanotechnology for Environmental Sustainability.” During his talk, Mr. Sharma emphasized the significance of recycling waste plastics and converting them into useful products. He also discussed the treatment of water and wastewater, highlighting their vital roles in environmental sustainability.   

On the second day, two guest talks were conducted.  Dr. Ganapathi Ayappa delivered a lecture titled ‘Developing Adsorbed Natural Gas Solutions for Transport: From Molecules to Vehicle.’ This lecture was dedicated to the memory of Prof. P. G. Krishnamoorthy, who was a professor in the Chemical Engineering Department. Dr Ayappa pointed out that the future of chemical engineering cannot be imagined without materials and their role in human life. Mr T S Vishwanathan, Technical facilitator, Ion Exchange Ltd spoke on the topic “Membranes in water and wastewater treatment” emphasizing the role of membrane technology in water and wastewater treatment. The distinguished speakers emphasized significant advancements in materials development related to sustainability, encompassing energy, environment, and water-related innovations.

The valedictory function on the second day featured Prof. K. Ganapathy Ayappa, Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at IISc, Bangalore as chief guest, and Mr. Harihara J, JGM-EHS and QC at MCF Ltd. Mangalore as the Guest of Honour.  Cdr. Dr. Anil Rana, Director of MIT Manipal presided over the function. Organizing Secretary and Head of the Chemical Engineering Department, Prof. Balakrishna Prabhu welcomed the gathering and Conference co-convener Prof. S V S R Krishna Bandaru proposed the vote of thanks. Participants shared their personal experiences of the conference, expressing sincere gratitude for the opportunities provided. Finally, the distribution of certificates to the participants was conducted by the dignitaries.