‘Energy conservation is a collective responsibility’

Srinagar, Dec 14: The Institution of Engineers (India), Jammu & Kashmir State Centre (IEI-JKSC) observed National Energy Conservation Day by organising a one-day technical seminar themed “Save Energy, Sustain the Future”, bringing together Corporate & Executive Committee Members of IEI, engineers, academicians, administrators, Students, and professionals to deliberate on practical pathways for reducing energy consumption while sustaining developmental momentum.

The programme commenced with an introduction by Er. Irfan Ahmad Reshi, MIE, Honorary Secretary, IEI-JKSC, emphasised the importance of energy conservation not only as a policy objective, but also as a professional and ethical responsibility of engineers. Er. Ferdous Ahad Bhat, FIE, Chairman, IEIJKSC, in his welcome address, emphasised that energy conservation must move beyond symbolic observances and translate into quantifiable outcomes at the planning, design, and execution levels of engineering projects. The technical session featured presentations by Dr. Rayees Ahmad Khan, Assistant Professor, SSM College of Engineering, Er. Aadil Hassan, Junior Engineer, JKPDD; Er. Tavqir Shafi, AMIE, Senior Design Engineer, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Er. Malik Mudasar Nisar, MIE, Assistant Executive Engineer, PW (R&B) Department; Er. Bashir Ahmad Dar, AMIE, former Secretary Technical, JKPDD; and Prof. (Dr.) Aijaz Ahmad, FIE, Department of Electrical Engineering, NIT Srinagar. Collectively, the resource persons stressed the urgent need for systematic energy conservation across generation, transmission, distribution, and end-use sectors.

The session concluded with an interactive Question & Answer segment, enabling participants to engage on practical challenges and implementation strategies. The closing session featured an address by the Guest of Honour, Er. M. Aaquib Sultana Waheed Deva, FIE, Chief Engineer, JKPTCL (Kashmir), who spoke on the operational challenges of power transmission and underscored the need for coordinated efforts among utilities, engineers, and policymakers. In his closing address, Er. Ferdous Ahad Bhat, FIE, reiterated that energy conservation is not an impediment to development but a critical enabler of sustainable growth.

In his address, the Chief Guest Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, IAS, Secretary to the Government, Science & Technology Department, J&K, called for institutional seriousness in converting awareness into measurable action and encouraged professional bodies to lead by example.

A brief felicitation ceremony followed, after which Er. Irfan Ahmad Reshi, MIE, presented the vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to all speakers, dignitaries, and participants, and reaffirming IEI-JKSC’s commitment to advancing responsible and future-ready engineering practices.