IIT Bhubaneswar Hosts Geoenvironment-2026 Workshop on Scientific Legacy Waste Management
IBG NEWS Desk | Bhubaneswar | 22 May 2026
Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar inaugurated the two-day international workshop Geoenvironment-2026 on Thursday, focusing on scientific approaches to landfill mining and remediation of legacy waste dumpsites. Organised by the School of Infrastructure, the event is being conducted in hybrid mode and brings together experts, policymakers, researchers, and urban development stakeholders from India and abroad.
The workshop aims to address pressing environmental concerns linked to old waste dumps through advanced landfill mining, biomining, and sustainable remediation practices.
Chief Guest Chanchal Rana, Commissioner of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, highlighted the growing urban waste crisis and stressed the need for cost-effective, scalable, and environmentally sustainable solutions for landfill management.
Referring to the ongoing remediation efforts at the Bhuasuni dumpsite, he underlined the importance of indigenous technologies, scientific waste analysis, and circular economy models in addressing legacy waste issues. He expressed optimism that the workshop would contribute towards practical and sustainable waste management strategies for Indian cities.
Addressing the participants, Debasish Das, Director (Commercial) of GRIDCO, emphasized the importance of collaborative research and sustainable waste handling practices in promoting environmental protection and long-term sustainability.
Dr. Usharani Patnaik, Additional Chief Environmental Scientist at the Odisha State Pollution Control Board, highlighted the state’s progress in scientific landfill remediation and biomining initiatives. She noted that Odisha has already remediated 91 out of 102 identified legacy waste dumpsites, helping reclaim nearly 350 acres of land for productive use.
Delivering the opening remarks, workshop convenor Dr. Mohit Somani stressed the urgent need for scientific landfill mining solutions in view of the rapidly increasing volume of accumulated urban waste across the country. The vote of thanks was delivered by Prof. Rajesh Roshan Dash, co-convenor of the workshop.
One of the major highlights of the inaugural session was the release of a book dedicated to landfill mining, showcasing the increasing academic and industrial focus on sustainable remediation technologies and modern waste recovery methods.
The workshop features technical sessions and invited lectures by experts from leading institutions, including the University of Padova in Italy, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi, National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli, and the Estonian University of Life Sciences.
Technical discussions during the event are focusing on subjects such as waste characterization, landfill mining technologies, process optimization, emission management, recovery and reuse of materials, site remediation, life cycle assessment, and future directions in sustainable waste management.
The programme has attracted participation from municipal officials, environmental consultants, academicians, researchers, policymakers, and students associated with environmental and geoenvironmental engineering.
The event reflects Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar’s ongoing commitment towards sustainable infrastructure research and environmentally responsible solutions for modern urban challenges.
