‘Engineering for a healthy planet’

Nagaland observes World Engineering Day

Our Correspondent
Kohima | March 4

Along with the rest of the world, the Federation of Nagaland State Engineering Service Associations (FONSESA) today observed World Engineering Day here at Hotel Vivor under the theme ‘Engineering for a healthy planet-Celebrating the UNESCO Engineering project report’.

Gracing the occasion as the special guest, Tongpang Ozukum, Minister for PWD (Housing & Mechanical) urged the engineers to think about the society without engineers or engineering works.

“Literally, the world will come to a standstill. There won’t be any constructions whether it is roads, bridges or buildings without the existence of civil and architect engineers. Had it not been for the electrical and electronic engineers, power generation and transmission will never be possible. Reliable energy, fast communication, sustainable resources, self-driven cars all these rely on engineering solutions and it was made possible by both electrical and electronic engineers.

Mechanical engineers also play a vital role in every field from road to the sky,” he said.

No branch of engineering is less important than the other, he added, and said that they are equally important and necessary for making the world a better place.

On the launch of the second UNESCO Engineering Report called ‘Engineering for Sustainable Development: Delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals’, he exuded confidence that the new report will exemplify the engineers as protagonists of innovation, responsible for building social progress to serve humanity and protect the environment in this fast changing world.

Ozukum also urged FONSESA members to initiate ‘drastic steps’ to achieve all the UNSECO Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“In order to do that, you must connect with the people. You must share your innovative ideas to the policy makers, to civil societies and other organizations so that we all become more aware of our responsibilities and contribute something to protect and preserve the world we live in,” the Minister said.

Requesting FONSESA members to be more active, Ozukum also urged them to make their mark “by doing something extraordinary, something great” with their dedicated initiatives in achieving the sustainable development goals adopted by UNESCO.

Mass support needed for achieving SDGs
FONSESA President Er Moa Aier said that the World Engineering Day for sustainable development is an opportunity to celebrate the important contributions of engineers and engineering to sustainable development and modern life.
“The day is also an opportunity to engage with government and industry to address the need for engineering capacity and the quality of engineers around the world and develop strategic frameworks and best practices for the implementation of engineering solutions for sustainable development,” he said.

The celebration is also about promoting engineering as a career and how it is an opportunity to change the world for better, he added.

Er Kereisiezo Sachu, President Association of Engineers, Department of Geology & Mining (AOE DGM) said that even the State government has put in a lot of effort for achieving SDGs and support is most needed from the people to ensure that everyone has access to clean water, sanitation, reliable energy and other basic human needs.

Er Imtinuksung from Association of Medical Engineers said the Engineering Day is a day for engineers to recognize the important work that they need to do to make this world a better place.

“And as we engineers are considered by others as nation builders, we should give our best effort to do justice to this noble profession,” he urged.

‘All engineering fields should incorporate sustainability’
Er Thepfusalie Guozi from Water Resource Department Engineers Association of Nagaland (WRDEAN) stressed on the need to use the strength to lift up “our people and society.”

“In our world today, it is not enough to be a good engineer. We need the good engineer to be more of a good person. I believe this begins with attitude and perspective change. Let us look with empathy from the view of the less fortunate. Let us go the extra mile together,” he said.

Er Renilo Nuh from Engineers Association of New & Renewable Energy (EANRE) said “Despite the importance of engineers to the improvement of global societies, there are a number of issues, most pertinent is the shortage of engineers, that need to be brought to the public’s attention and that need to be addressed by international organizations, civil societies, industries, academic institutions and national and local governments.”

He said all engineering fields should incorporate sustainability into their practice in order to improve the quality of life for all.

Further, with the creation of the SDGs encompassing 17 agendas for equitable, just and better living, engineers will continue to play a decisive role in their success, he said.

The necessity for environmentally-friendly technologies in the future will require the expertise of engineers, he added.

Er K Nakhro from Associations of Engineer Public Work Department (AOEPWD) said “Let us remember that development should not be at the cost of our planet,” and urged the engineers to take a pledge and dedicate themselves to make the planet a healthy and better place to live in.

‘Ensure completed work is sustainable’
Er Supong Yanger from Association of Public Health Engineers Nagaland (APHEN) said that it is a huge responsibility and an opportunity for engineers to not only live in the times of practical knowledge but also to delve into the world of imaginary dimensions to fulfill the practical needs of our people.

“The role of an ‘engineer’ today is not just to finish a work or a project successfully, but also to ensure that the completed work or structure is sustainable,” he said.

We the ‘engineers’ being the backbone of development and technology, should not slumber but put every effort, intelligence and knowledge to uplift our society for the better, he added.

Er Penrithung Yanthan, President Association of Power Engineers Nagaland (APEN) said “Today, we are living in a technology driven world where robotics and AI plays a very important role. Our designs have improved much and are done with much ease with better quality of work and workmanship and with much aesthetics. However, while trying to come up with the best of designs, let us give equal importance to ‘what we build’. Let our minds not be consumed by only on how we build. Let not the size and the most beautiful project or systems that we build today become a monument of liability.”

What we build today should not be a threat and a menace to humanity and mankind. Let us, as engineers, seriously think, conceptualize and examine our projects of its sustainability and usefulness to the people before it is implemented, lest we will be struggling to achieve completion of meaningless projects only, he said.

Let us not build projects simply in the name of development or for the sake of utilizing funds. Let us think seriously what impact it would have on the lives of the people in terms of sustainability and safety, he implored.

The programme was chaired FONSESA Vice President Er H Hutoi while FONSESA General Secretary Er Chengato Kath proposed vote of thanks.

Source: https://morungexpress.com/engineering-for-a-healthy-planet