blog#6, 2 December – by Vivek George Sanu (Architect student from Kerala)
My day started with a bowl of cornflakes and milk. As I walked in to the canteen I could see my Dutch friends all at the table eating from their bowls. Soon my Indian friends also joined us. The excitement levels were pretty high as all the 25 participants sat in seminar room no 5 eagerly waiting to see how day 5 of wetskills 2015 turned out.
Mr Goswami started day 5 by showing us two videos; one on the science express, a 16 coach train designed by the CEE team which showcases the need to conserve water and our environment.
Then a TED talk on how the traditional water harvesting structures of the deserts were rendered desolate due to poor policies and “modernization”. At five minutes to 10 a gentleman walked in to the room and Mr Goswami introduced Mr Bhatia, a spokesperson from the GPCB (Gujarat Pollution Control Board) who gave us a lecture on how the GPCB over the years have been working hard to keep the environment of Gujarat desirable. The lecture was very simple that even a person like me from a non-technical background could easily understand. Soon after the lecture I joined my team for a round of discussion on how to frame the action plan for our case study. After a long hour of brain storming we decided to break for lunch.
Team 5: traditional infrastructure
Team 1: STP Surat
Team 4: STP Ahmedabad
Team 2: CETP Ahmedabad
Team 3: Halvad
Post lunch we had another round of brain storming and at quarter past three we presented our plan of action in front of the experts. By half past three all the teams were gathered in the seminar room as two teams were leaving for Surat and Halvad for their case studies.
A round of hugs and handshakes and day 5 was done.