The Indian Plumbing Association (IPA), The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) and Bhaskar Foundation will organise plumbing training programmes for rural youth.
After inaugurating a plumbing institution and laboratory at Sri Ramakrishna Advanced Training Institute in Coimbatore, Sudhakaran Nair, president of the Indian Plumbing Association and Executive Board Member of the World Plumbing Council, told The Hindu Property Plus that the training would be provided under the Swarnajayanthi Gram Swarozgar Yojana. Initially, about 2,000 candidates in seven States who had studied at least up to Class VIII and were from economically weaker section in rural areas would be trained. They would undergo a three-month training, he said. The programme is likely to be launched in a month. “This is a great day for the Indian plumbing institute as this is the second laboratory for plumbing education in the country, next only to Pune,” he said.
Plumbing education is going to spread in the country. In countries such as Australia and the United States, it was a four-year programme. India had just made a start. The IPA and IAPMO had programmes for construction supervisors and managers, plumbing system designers and one for plumbers. The hands-on training for master and apprentice plumbers was a certificate programme. This would be a one-year, full-time course and the students should have passed Class X. The programme would be launched in two months, he said.
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The Sri Ramakrishna Advanced Training Institute conducted a one-month plumbing training programme for 18 unemployed youth, who were school drop outs, under the Vaazhndhu Kaatuvom scheme. Plumbing design courses were conducted during weekends for engineers. The institute had signed agreements with the IPA, IAPMO and the Indian Institute of Plumbing to conduct the courses.
The 8,500-sq.ft. laboratory, established at a cost of Rs. 85 lakh, displayed plumbing systems for different uses - hospital, kitchen, pump room, bathroom, bathroom for the disabled, and multi-storeyed buildings. It also had fixtures, taps, showers and tools used for plumbing.
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Green plumbers
The Indian Plumbing Association and the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials will organise programmes for plumbers on water and energy conservation. Sudhakaran Nair, president of the Indian Plumbing Association and Executive Board Member of the World Plumbing Council, said that the United States and Australia had green plumbers. In the last one year, the U.S. has trained about 6,000 green plumbers.
Awareness was increasing on energy conservation and green building concepts in India. In order to create green plumbers in the country, the two associations would organise Green Plumber India programmes.
The training would be held for two weekends and the participants would be certified as green plumbers. The focus would be on energy and water conservation. The programme would be launched in February.
Mr. Nair said that 12 per cent of potable water consumed was in buildings. This could be brought down. Gadgets should be designed for water conservation and the plumbing systems should be designed for water conservation, he said.