From lab to land, IIT-I develops solutions for water audit & pollution control under BIS pact

Indore: Imagine a future where your water bills stop climbing and your taps never run dry, even in the peak of summer. This is the promise behind a ‘tiered' water audit framework developed by IIT-Indore. The research zeroes in on ‘non-revenue water', the vast amounts lost to underground leaks or unauthorised connections, ensuring citizens are not footing the bill for wasted water and only pay for what actually reaches their taps.By plugging these invisible financial holes, the system shields the common man from frequent water tax hikes and ensures a more reliable, predictable supply, researchers claim.Moving beyond academic theory, the Indian Institute of Technology-Indore is now eyeing the translation of its research into tangible public solutions, ranging from water auditing to pollution measurement.Under a collaboration with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the premier institute secured approval for six critical research projects aimed at addressing ground-level challenges in sustainability and civic infrastructure.Officials said, IIT-Indore faculty submitted 33 research proposals under the BIS framework, out of which six were sanctioned. These projects focus on high-impact areas, including developing standard protocols to measure and conserve water usage in industries and townships, creating accurate standard-compliant systems for monitoring environmental quality and innovation in waste management and public hygiene infrastructure.The research also covers material testing to ensure construction and manufacturing material meet rigorous safety and durability standards.The projects were highlighted during a one-day workshop on ‘BIS–Academia Collaboration for Sustainable Development' held at the campus recently. The event, attended by over 200 delegates, showcased how the institute is utilising the standardisation framework to create market-ready solutions.During his inaugural address, IIT-Indore director prof Suhas Joshi said, "Standardisation is a critical enabler for quality, innovation and sustainability. Strong collaboration among academia, industry, startups and BIS is essential to translate research outcomes into scalable, market-ready and socially relevant solutions."To ensure these innovations reach the industry, the institute established seven ‘BIS Student Chapters' across disciplines like civil, mechanical and chemical engineering. These chapters are designed to train students in adhering to Indian standards right from the prototype stage, ensuring that startups and innovations emerging from the campus are industry-compliant by default.Prof Manish Kumar Goyal, faculty at IIT Indore and chair professor- BIS standardisation said, "The newly established ‘BIS Corner' on campus will serve as a knowledge hub, helping students and startups align their research with national quality standards."