Bhubaneswar, 22nd May, 2026 [ADN]: The School of Infrastructure, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar inaugurated the two-day International Workshop on Landfill Mining of Legacy Waste (Geoenvironment-2026) in hybrid mode on 22nd May 2026. The workshop aims to address emerging environmental and regulatory challenges associated with remediation of legacy waste dumpsites through landfill mining and biomining initiatives.
Gracing the occasion as the Chief Guest, Shri Chanchal Rana, IAS, Commissioner, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), highlighted the growing challenges of urban waste management and stressed the need for scalable, affordable, and sustainable landfill remediation solutions. Referring to the ongoing Bhuasuni dumpsite remediation, he emphasized the importance of indigenous technologies, scientific waste characterization, and circular economy approaches in tackling legacy waste challenges. He expressed confidence that the workshop would contribute towards developing practical solutions for sustainable urban waste management in India.
Shri Debasish Das, Director (Commercial), GRIDCO, Bhubaneswar, also addressed the participants and underlined the significance of sustainable waste management practices and the role of collaborative research in advancing environmental sustainability.
Dr. Usharani Patnaik, Additional Chief Environmental Scientist, State Pollution Control Board, Odisha, emphasized the importance of biomining and scientific landfill remediation in sustainable waste management. She highlighted Odisha’s progress in legacy waste remediation, noting that 91 out of 102 identified dump sites in the state have already been remediated, reclaiming nearly 350 acres of land.
Delivering the opening remarks, Dr. Mohit Somani, Convenor of the Workshop, highlighted the urgent need for scientific and sustainable landfill mining practices in India, particularly in view of the increasing volume of legacy waste accumulated across urban local bodies. Prof. Rajesh Roshan Dash, Co-Convenor of the workshop proposed a vote of thanks.
A major highlight of the inaugural programme was the unveiling of a book on Landfill Mining, reflecting the growing academic and practical focus on sustainable remediation technologies and practices.
The two-day workshop features invited talks and technical deliberations by eminent experts from reputed institutions, including University of Padova, Italy; IIT Delhi; IIT Guwahati; IIT Kharagpur; IIT (BHU) Varanasi; NIT Trichy; and Estonian University of Life Sciences, among others.
The technical sessions of the workshop are focusing on themes such as characterization of legacy waste, landfill mining technologies, process optimization, emission control, valorization of recovered materials, site remediation, life cycle assessment, and future directions in sustainable waste management.
The workshop has drawn participation from Urban Local Body officials, environmental consultants, researchers, faculty members, policymakers, and students working in the domains of environmental and geoenvironmental engineering.
The event reflects IIT Bhubaneswar’s continued commitment towards advancing sustainable infrastructure research and contributing to environmentally responsible solutions for contemporary societal challenges.
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