Final year B.Tech. Civil Engineering students at the Amrita School of Engineering in Coimbatore campus- Mansi Trivedi, Satish A. J., Thanu Suthan P. M., Varsha Pinnamaraju and Vignesh V. won the first prize in​​ ​the Coimbatore Builders and Contractors Association (CEBACA) Talent Hunt 2015 held on October 11, 2015.​

​The winning students received a cash award of INR Rs. 75,000 and trophy.​

“In the competition, we were asked to submit abstracts with design based on eco-township theme. A total of 18 teams from across the country submitted, of which 6 teams were selected for panel interview in the competition,” shared the students.

The team submitted ​a detailed report​ titled “Eco-Township- Prakriti Valley” based on the planning of an eco-township satisfying requirements​ ​such as developing a model that is eco friendly, economical​, including a sewage treatment plant, etc., as ​mentioned by the​ ​​association​.

“Practical knowledge is to be exercised apart from theoretical knowledge. ​Developing a design based on market standards and availability is​ ​also ​​essential,” they added.

“We divided the work equally among us and were able to complete the plan in short time. The feedback received from the expert panel was also truly motivating and a great learning experience,” they joyfully added.  ​

Here are some excerpts from the paper.

The Brundtland definition states that “sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Building sustainable homes and creating sustainable settlements through township planning, compact city patterns, and urban consolidation have attracted considerable focus in recent years. Too often the townships that are planned today are neglected from sustainable planning point of view. The location of the township, the way in which the townships are planned, the amenities they provide, the quality of the living experience and attachment of the people with their neighbourhood and the people who are living in it are important if our homes and our cities are to be sustainable. In this paper we explore the opportunities that townships provide to create more sustainable behaviours both within and outside the homes.

The report puts light on the importance of sustainable living in today’s world and a dire need of creating a self sustaining gated community popularly called as Eco-Township. It mainly concentrates on the motto of zero disposals and the concept of three R‟s, i.e., Reduce, Recycle and Reuse.

The report consists of a detailed design and estimation of the water supply system and sewage treatment and disposal created in the township to make it cleaner and sustainable. The 25.69 acres of land with a mentioned gradient are taken for the design and setting up of various modern equipment. The design includes a detailed layout (plan of the total given area) which includes the residences of two groups of people- the middle class and people of lower economic condition, roads, water supply equipment, pipes and appurtenances, common area, public utilities like parks, community hall, shops, hospitals.

The use of clean and renewable forms of energy is stressed into the design concept of the township. Various innovative and modern methods are being employed for greater efficiency and output. The efficient and optimum usage of the rain water and storm water are employed for preventing soil erosion and helping water crisis conditions. The report strictly follows the norms and guidelines of the DTCP code of approvals and does not deviate from its mentioned standards.