Formal education in Plumbing is essential for Engineering, Architecture students – Times of India

As per the pact, students pursuing Engineering, Architecture, or Interior Designing, or graduates with a major degree in Civil, Environmental, and Mechanical Engineering, Architecture, or Interior Designing, will be able to take the course in Plumbing (Water and Sanitation).

Anil Sahasrabudhe, chairman, AICTE, says, “Plumbing is a hardcore skill-based course, which is essential in all aspects of construction. Every stage of construction, whether laying of water pipes or buying of gadgets that are eco-friendly, requires basic knowledge of Plumbing. Thus, all experts related to the fields of Civil Engineering, Architecture, and Interior Designing should receive formal training in this skill.”

The 50-hour Plumbing course will be a combination of 80% theory and 20% practical training. “Since setting up of practical training labs for Plumbing is an expensive prospect, we are in talks with some institutes who have the resources to set them up. Students from other institutes can take their practical training at these labs. For faculty, industry experts in the field are being roped in to provide lectures. Faculty development is also being explored,” says Sahasrabuddhe.

Abhay Math, chairman, Dnyanada Institute of Flow Piping Technology, Pune, has been offering a two-month-long certificate course in Plumbing since 2010. He says, “Broadly, on the manufacturing side in the field of plumbing, India has achieved global standards, as available products are of world-class quality. However, it is in the skilling and knowledge departments that this field is lagging.”

With no proper curriculum, the currently on-offer Plumbing courses do not have many takers. “However, the demand for experts in Plumbing is increasing daily. Many experts who choose to pursue a career in Plumbing opt for certificate/part-time courses that are being offered at around 500 institutions under the National Skill Development Corporation,” he adds.

Over the past 11 years, Dnyanada Institute has trained around 1500 students from across 36 districts in Maharashtra, says Math. “Since Plumbing was considered only as a skill that would make rural youth employable thus far, no separate curriculum had been chalked out. We have associated with International Association for Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), which has helped earmark the curriculum we follow. We have a digital curriculum that is available in a variety of languages, including Marathi, Assamese, and Hindi. We are working on introducing the curriculum in the Kannada language soon,” he adds.

Today, the technology associated with Plumbing has grown manifold. “Graduates in Mechanical, Engineering and Plumbing Engineering are the experts needed to do justice to this field’s requirements. We are on the path to developing a diploma curriculum in Plumbing. The AICTE’s mission to make Plumbing a four-credit course for Engineering and Architecture students will help address issues like recycling of water, which remains untouched so far,” says Math.