Environmental engineering is one of the branches of engineering that combine the science and engineering principle to deal with the problem of the environment. The first priority of environmental engineering is to ensure all the organisms that the place should be clean for everyone. Environmental engineering is concerned with protecting people from the adverse impact on the environment such as pollution, water quality, and hazardous air quality. The environmental engineer works on improving environmental quality by spreading awareness among people and contributing their engineering methods to the environment.
Environmental engineering is a broad field that draws attention on the following disciplines as chemistry, geology, hydraulics, hydrology, ecology, economics, mathematics, and microbiology. It was earlier categorized under the ‘Civil Engineering’ and known as ‘Sanitary Engineering’ until mid-1960s, when the more accurate and suitable name ‘Environmental Engineering’ was adopted.
The people who work as an environmental engineer ensure how to protect the environment and curb environmental degradation. Environmental engineering is a kind of development process and design infrastructure for the disposal of waste, supply of water, control the air pollution, and more. These endeavors protect public health as well other species by preventing disease transmission, and they also preserve the quality of the environment by averting the contamination and degradation of air, water, and land resource.
The quality of the environment is falling short due to the carelessness of people and having less knowledge about the adverse impact of the environment. As we all know environment is the only large source of fulfilling our need and it carries the burden of satisfying all being on the planet. Apart from environment engineers, protecting the environment should be the duty of all of us.
Project in environmental engineering involves the treatment and distribution of drinking water, the collection, treatment, and disposal of wastewater, control of air pollution and noise pollution, municipal solid-waste management and hazardous-waste management, clean-up of hazardous –waste sites, and the making a plan to protect the environment from these pollutions.
The works also include the preparation of environmental assessment, impactful studies regarding the outcome of deteriorating nature, and do audits.
The Role of Mathematics in Curbing Environmental Issues:
Principle of mathematics, mathematics modeling and computer application are widely used in protecting the environment and also used to evaluate and design the system required for such a task. Chemical and mechanical engineers may also be involved in the process. Environmental engineering functions includes applied research and teaching; project planning and management; the design, construction, and operation of facilities; the sale and marketing of environmental-control equipment; and the enforcement of environmental standards and regulations.
Environmental Engineers devote themselves in the search of renewable sources of energy and solutions to prevent pollution and other environment-related issues. They also make devices for waste supplements and water management in rural and urban areas, improved sanitation systems, improved sewerage systems to stop the diseases. They work for the sustainable development of the earth and its living organisms. They need to study the effects of technological growth on the environment such as; reason for less rainfall, the impact of air pollution on the ozone layer, pollutions, the effect of global warming, issues of climate change, deforestation etc. basically, the environmental engineers are constantly engaged in maintaining the good environment for the health of the earth and its resources and the living creatures on it.
Scope of Environmental Engineering
The education of environmental engineers usually involves graduate-level programs, though some colleges and universities allow undergraduates to specialize or take elective courses in the environmental stream. Programs offering associate two-year degree are available for training environmental technicians. In the public sector, environmental engineers are hired by some national and regional environmental agencies, local health departments, and municipal engineering and public works departments. In the private sector, consulting agencies along with construction contractors, water and sewerage utility companies, manufacturing, and infrastructure industries provide employment opportunities to them.
Environmental Engineering Courses:
Those who interested to pursue environmental engineering as a career can join the UG course as well as PG course in environmental engineering which offered by the many national and international universities or institutions. You can read the below table to know the duration of undergraduate and postgraduate programs in environmental engineering course:
| Name of the program | Specialization | Duration |
| B.Tech | Environmental Engineering | 4 year |
| M.Tech | Environmental Engineering | 2 year |
Eligibility Criteria for Environmental Engineering:
The eligibility criteria for environmental engineering are the same as other engineering courses. Those who want to boost their career in the field of environmental engineering, have required to secure their sit in JEE Main and JEE Advanced and other state–level exams. For pursuing UG program in environmental engineering, aspirants must clear the JEE main which is held twice in a year, in January and in April. The interested candidates can appear for either of the Exam or both.
Besides, the interested candidates must have to pass the 10+2 board examination with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as subjects. Those who have appeared for the class 12 examination may sit for the entrance examination but have to submit the final scorecard at the time of admission.
To hold a Master Degree in Environmental Engineering, the candidates have to secure their name in the list of GATE entrance examinations and have to complete the UG course in the same subject.
Job Profile: Designation to Serve
At present, we can see that how the environmental issues are gearing up everyone is concerned to protect nature because it fulfills our unlimited desire and there is a huge demand of environmental engineers. All the firms such as national international, local bodies, state agencies, central agencies, and private agencies are seeking environmental engineers as health is the first most priority of people at today’s time. Hazardous air leads the numerous of diseases which cause global tension. It hopes that these environmental engineering would save the environment from pollution and work for the betterment of all creatures on the planet.
After completing the B.E./B.Tech course environmental engineers can serve in the environmental, energy, and agricultural sector of the government and semi or non-government agencies. These profiles are following:
- Air Quality Engineer
- Field Chemist
- Safety Design Manager
- Assistant Policy Specialist
- Environmental Engineer
- Waste Resources Manager
- Recycle Manager
- Hydro-Geologist
Package in environmental engineering is also very attractive as its demand is increasing for the past few years. Since the development reaches at peak the concern for the eco-system is also increasing so that salary is a bit interesting in these sectors. The benefit of working as environmental engineer is that its salary increases with the year as engineers get experienced. The fresher are offered around Rs. 3 to 4 lakh per annum while the experienced are offered 9 to 10 lakh per annum.
Colleges for Environmental Engineering Programs:
Students can check here for the best college for Environmental Engineering programs in India as well as Abroad.
- University of California – Berkeley
- University of Michigan
- IIT Bombay
- IIT Madras
- IIT Delhi
- IIT Kanpur
- NIT Trichy
- IIMT Studies
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai
- College for Engineering, Pune
- Jamial Millia Islamia, New Delhi
- BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore
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