#WorldEnvironmentDay: Indian Navy adds 'Green Footprint to its Blue Water operations'

The Indian Navy, a multi-dimensional force that is always at the forefront in guarding the nation also plays a major part in conserving the environment while guarding the sea. To focus on a sustainable future while integrating energy efficiency and environmental conservation within its operational and strategic roles, it introduced several Environment Protection and Green Initiatives. It is putting all the efforts into reducing its environmental footprint through energy conservation, minimizing marine pollution, and the use of alternative sources of energy.

 

 

Exactly a year ago, the Navy headed with its eco-friendly program ‘Indian Navy Environment Conservation Roadmap’ (INECR) comprising of specific action plans covering the gamut of operations, maintenance, administration, infrastructure, and community living. It has been the guiding document and key enabler for progressively achieving this vision of the Indian Navy to add a "Green Footprint to its Blue Water operations". he Green Initiatives have also been augmented by afforestation and plantation drives. In the past year, over 16,500 trees have been planted which would mitigate an estimated 330 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide.

 

World Environment Day is celebrated across the world in order to spread awareness on environmental issues such as marine pollution, global warming, and sustainable consumption. Meanwhile, the Indian Navy, this year, too, conducted the World Environment Day this year following the lockdown measures with the theme being to recognize the significance of biodiversity. It held various educational awareness programs, lectures, and webinars through electronic media in different naval stations opposite to the regular outdoor activities.

 

• It collaborated with IOCL to revise the fuel specifications to reduce pollution from the engine.
  
  
• The new specification surpasses international norms and includes reduced sulfur content which in the long run will reduce emissions levels as well as maintenance requirements onboard.
  
  
• Ample emphasis is being accorded within the Navy in protecting ocean ecology.
  
  
• It voluntarily implemented all six schedules of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) regulations.
  
  
• All Naval ships have been fitted with MARPOL compliant pollution control equipment such as Oily Water Separators (OWS) and Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) for treating waste generated onboard.
  
  
• To ensure the upkeep of harbor waters, accelerated bioremediation technology has also been developed through Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL), Mumbai.
  
  
• In efforts to reduce carbon footprint, measures have been brought in force for a steady increase in the utilization of e-vehicles such as e-cycles, e-trolley, and e-scooters.
  
  
• The gradual plan is to decrease the usage of fossil-fuel-based vehicles during working hours through use of e-vehicles or bicycles.

The Navy is also focussing on the reduction of overall power consumption through a progressive induction of energy-efficient equipment. It is aiming for a near-complete transition from conventional lighting to more energy-efficient solid-state lighting. Other notable energy-saving measures are the use of capacitor banks to maintain high power factor, use of transparent acrylic sheet roofs to harness natural light, SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) based electricity metering for effective monitoring, use of occupancy sensors, sky-pipes and turbo-ventilators in workshop floors, to name a few.

 

The usage of renewable energy is also enhanced by the navy boosting the government policy. For e.g. 24 MW of Solar Photo Voltaic projects are at various stages of implementation in the Navy’s shore establishments. In addition, individual units have also installed solar-powered appliances that have progressively replaced conventional equipment.

 

 

 

"All Naval units have adopted aggressive waste handling processes for collection, segregation, and subsequent handling as per GoI Green norms. An Integrated Solid Waste Management Facility (ISWMF) is being set up at Naval station, Karwar, which includes a centralized waste segregation plant, Organic Waste Converter (OWC) for wet waste and a facility to handle dry/ unsegregated domestic waste," the statement read.

 

The Indian Navy also practices community participation which plays a major role in the implementation of these initiatives. Successful institution of green measures in the Navy has been possible through a self-conscious naval community, well-aware of the necessity of environmental remediation and energy conservation.

 

To foster a sense of responsibility towards the environment, various mass participation events such as mass ‘shramdan’, coastal clean ship drives, etc are organized regularly. Further, to motivate the units, a trophy introduced to recognize the unit adopting the best green practices for the year, has proved useful in encouraging units to embrace Green initiatives.