Career Option : Environmental Engineering

Career Option : Environmental Engineering

Introduction

Environmental Engineering is an emerging branch of study in engineering that applies the knowledge of science and engineering principles to improve the environment (air, water, and/or land resources) from pollution and to provide healthy water, air and land for human habitation and for other organisms.

Environmental engineers work in many aspects of environmental protection. The major areas include air pollution control, industrial hygiene, radiation protection, hazardous waste management, toxic materials control, water supply, waste water management, storm water management, solid waste disposal, public health, and land management. And, within each of these major categories are many sub-specialties.

Courses & Eligibility

An individual aspiring for a career in environmental engineering can join BE/B.Tech program after his/her Plus Two Science with Physics, Chemistry, Maths. The BE/BTech program is of four years duration. Admission to B.Tech program is made generally through entrance tests.

There are many engineering colleges/universiti es in India including the IITs offering BE/B.Tech/ME/ M.Tech courses in environmental engineering.

Career Prospects

Graduates of Environmental Engineering program can find jobs in many fields. One can be a researcher, a designer, a planner, an operator of pollution control facilities, a professor, a government regulatory agency official, a manager of programs, or be involved in professional society work.

The employer can be private consulting engineering firms, universities, private research firms, testing laboratories, government agencies of all types (central, state and local), or all types of major corporations and private businesses.

However, the possibility of finding jobs is more in chemical manufacturing units, mines etc.

Apart from jobs in government agencies like the Central Pollution Control Board, openings in the private sector would essentially lie with companies engaged in infrastructure projects with environmental consulting firms.

Environment engineers also have prospects in business industry as the government has notified that any industry that employs over 500 people must have a health and safety officer. An environmental engineer is ideally suited for this task.


Institutes/Universities

There are many engineering colleges in the country offering BE/BTech in environmental engineering. The pioneer institutes are the Indian Institutes of Technology, Birla institute of Technology, National Institutes of Technology, Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), College of Engineering and Technology (Anna University).

You can also check engineering colleges located in various states and major cities of the country that might be offering course in environmental engineering.

Contributed by Mr. Girish Kumar