Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Urban Academy inked a memorandum of understanding with IIT-Bhubaneswar and social enterprise Development Alternatives Saturday to set up a centre of excellence for advancing sustainable urban development.
The tripartite agreement was signed in the presence of Odisha’s Housing and Urban Development Minister K C Mohapatra and the department’s Additional Chief Secretary Usha Padhee.
The initiative is aimed at promoting research, innovation, capacity building and the adoption of sustainable construction practices to support Odisha’s vision of building cleaner, greener and future-ready cities, the minister said.
He said the state government was emphasising urban development beyond the creation of physical infrastructure to improve the quality of life through environmentally responsible planning, quality public infrastructure, and efficient civic services.
Describing the Centre of Excellence as a transformative initiative, Mohapatra said it will serve as a knowledge and innovation hub for advancing sustainable urban development in the state.
He also said that the centre of excellence will gradually expand its scope to other critical areas such as urban air quality monitoring, solid waste management, water quality assessment and other sustainability-related interventions.
In its first major initiative, the centre of excellence will prepare a comprehensive roadmap for construction and demolition waste management for the rapidly urbanising cluster comprising Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Khordha, Jatni and Pipili.
The project will include preparation of an integrated construction and demolition waste management strategy, promotion of innovative technologies, institutional capacity building, and development of a detailed project report.
The framework developed under this initiative is expected to serve as a scalable model for implementation across other urban centres in Odisha, an official statement said.
Under the provisions of the MoU, IIT-Bhubaneswar will provide research support, technical expertise and technological innovation while Development Alternatives will facilitate implementation and promote the adoption of sustainable construction technologies.
The Odisha Urban Academy will lead capacity building, policy support and knowledge dissemination among urban local bodies and other stakeholders.
On the occasion, Padhee underscored the importance of strong institutional collaboration in addressing emerging urban challenges.
She said that integrating sustainable construction practices, scientific waste management and evidence-based planning into the urban development framework will be critical to building resilient, resource-efficient and environmentally sustainable cities in the state.
