IC-IMPACTS Featured on The Harpreet Singh Show

IC-IMPACTS Featured on The Harpreet Singh Show

Harpreet Singh interviewed Dr. Nemy Banthia on his informative television talk show, The Harpreet Singh Show to learn more about IC-IMPACTS.  Check out the interview below.

*Note that the interview is mostly spoken in Hindi.  The interview is translated below the video.

Nemy Banthia, the Scientific Director of IC-IMPACTS and a professor at UBC has joined us today to tell us what IC-IMPACTS is, what benefits the organization brings, and how the general public can get involved.

Welcome Dr. Banthia.  How did IC-IMPACTS come about?

In 2012, the federal government launched a competition where proposals could be submitted for the creation of a new research centre.  18 applications for different research centers were received and the application jointly submitted by The University of British Columbia, University of Alberta, and University of Toronto to create IC-IMPACTS won.  IC-IMPACTS is hosted at UBC and is pan-Canadian, open to all researchers and universities across Canada.

What does IC-IMPACTS Stand for and what does the organization do?

IC-IMPACTS stands for the India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnerships to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability.  The centre is focused on community engagement and finding solutions for communities in both Canada and India that need safer and more sustainable infrastructure, improved water management, and better public health systems and treatment methods.

We have funding for research in these three areas and are also working on engaging both Canadian and Indian industry sectors to increase trade, knowledge sharing, and skills between both nations.

How is this research centre different from other centres out there?

Other research centers do not highlight India as prominently as we do.  Every research project we fund must include researchers and companies from Canada, AND researchers and companies from India.

Can you give us examples of types of research IC-IMPACTS is funding and comment on whether the research stays at the University level or whether the research affects the general public.

IC-IMPACTS  was created for its research to not solely be used to write papers, but for research to affect and improve communities.

IC-IMPACTS is working with the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to provide technical advice on addressing the pollution of the Ganga River.  80% of the river pollution is made up of raw sewage, while the other 20% consists of industrial runoff from nearby pulp and paper factories, tanneries, and distilleries.  We are able to share technologies from Canadian pulp and paper factories where some factories produce zero greenhouse gas emissions.  We are able to fund projects involving improved sewage and water treatment units.

The new Indian Prime Minister, Narinder Modhi recently appointed a new minister specifically for the task of cleaning up the Ganga River.  Will there be much interaction at that level?

Yes, definitely.

How does research move from the research level to full deployment?  Are Canadian researchers travelling to India and Indian researchers travelling to Canada?

Yes there is an active exchange between both sides.  We have approximately 90 students and 150 researchers as members.  Joint workshops and conferences are constantly held to continue building the dialogue between Canada and India.  This constant dialogue allows for solutions to be applied in communities at a much faster rate.

For example, a power plant in the Bathinda region in India produces 1000 tonnes of bottom ash as waste material every day and sends this waste to the landfill.  We’re helping this plant use an existing solution of incorporating this waste material in concrete to reduce the amount of waste-to-landfill.

Water is a major concern in India, especially in the state of Punjab where we’re finding the water table is decreasing. Can you please highlight the water theme of IC-IMPACTS?

Water is a prominent problem India but also in Canada, especially in many First Nations communities.  We’re focusing on two areas:

1) Sensing – Nanoparticle sensors allow compounds such as E. coli and arsenic to quickly be detected so that contaminated water sources can be closed off.

2) Treatment – Treatment technologies that haven’t reached small communities such as ultraviolet light treatment systems are being created.  These systems take into account the need for a smaller scale and smaller power usages, with opportunities to power these systems using innovative solar panels.  We are aiming to use these systems in smaller communities and villages of 8000-10,000 people where communities are in need of such technologies.  Once our demonstration projects prove successful, these technologies can be scaled upwards for other communities in similar or larger sizes.

How is industry involved.  As you mentioned, IC-IMPACTS is not solely about Canadian experts helping India.  Are Indian experts helping address Canadian issues?  What benefits are achieved from Canadian and Indian industries working together?

Industry involvement is very active – our projects have a requirement where industry must be involved.  Examples of Indian companies include Reliance, Wipro, Tata Consulting; whereas Canadian companies include Stantec Consulting, Golder Associates, SNC Lavalin, GE Water etc.  These companies are all partners in our various projects and help apply our research findings in Canada and India.

Canada can learn from experts in India just as much as Indian’s can learn from experts in Canada.  For example, India’s space research, water treatment, and heritage conservation is very advanced.  Heritage structures in India have been maintained for over 3000 years; the parliament buildings, Canada’s oldest structure, is only about 150 years old.  We have much to learn from Indian experts in how we can best maintain our older buildings and heritage sites.

IC-IMPACTS isn’t just an aid for India.  It is a real partnership – India helping Canada and Canada helping India.  Companies in India should be getting just as much of a trade opportunity with Canada as Canadian companies are getting with India.

How is the general public involved?  How can the community get involved in this?

We are holding a number of professional training workshops.  We recently held one in Bangalore, India informing professionals of new techniques on strengthening bridges and new building materials. Small to medium businessmen attend these workshops and conferences to learn more about cutting edge research and new best practices.

How can Indo-Canadians in Canada get involved.  Can the community-at-large get involved?

Everyone in the community is openly invited and welcomed to get involved.  Visit our website (https://ic-impacts.com) to find out more information on what we’re doing. If you would like to get in touch in an advisory setting, be involved in funding scholarships or projects, or if you would like to get involved in other capacities please contact us.

People that are closer to the problems tend to come up with better solutions. We’re hoping to get the community-at-large involved, possibly in an “India Day” event where the general public can view our office at UBC and our laboratories to see the type of research of being done.

IC-IMPACTS has accomplished a lot both at the research level and at the grassroots community levels.  Have there been any challenges along the way?

When two whole countries are involved, with two sets of government, and a 23 hour flight between them, there are bound to be challenges.  There are differences in cultures, mindsets, processes, landscapes but we have to try and reach an understanding.  Things are changing, especially since both countries are at the table to work together to build a strong partnership.  I’m very excited to work with India, it’s a great opportunity.