Dr. S. V. Ranade - Resume

Part – I (1966-1976)

I joined Walchand College of Engg. In 1966, immediately after completing my B.E. Civil in the same college. I was assigned the job of conducting survey practicals. I could learn many basic principles of surveying , handling of instruments and methodology of conducting field surveys.

My participation in survey and design of lift irrigation schemes gave me lot of real life experience during our week long survey camps in undeveloped barren area.

Dr. Subbarao joined the college in the same year. He had done M.S. in environmental engineering from Oklahoma state university in USA. I was interested in doing post graduate study. Hence, I shifted my interest from surveying to environmental engineering and started assisting Dr. Subbarao in his efforts to establish Environmental Engineering wing in our civil dept. We started small environmental laboratory in partitioned compartment of classroom. We used to work on weekend holidays and after college hours in the lab.

In order to get hands on technical knowledge in water and wastewater analysis, I used my summer vacation in 1967 to take practical training for two months at NEERI, Nagpur. I could get family accommodation at my colleague Prof. Shridhar Karandikar’s home in Nagpur, where his parents were staying. I could get guidance of many scientists at NEERI during my stay there and I could observe working of national research institute.

I completed my M.E. Civil Environmental Engg under guidance of Dr. Subbarao in 1969. My research project was on Secondary treatment of Septic tank effluent with percolating filters and I conducted my experiments on field scale by constructing percolating filters for treating septic tank effluent from students hostels.

I could get opportunity of three months field work training under QIP scheme in 1972 at Hindustan Construction Company in their construction project of New Filtration Plant at Parvati Water Works, Pune.

In 1973, I was selected for Ph.D. at IIT, Kanpur under Quality Improvement Programme. I did PhD research work at IIT Kanpur on conversion of full scale rapid sand filter into coal-sand dual media filter at Kanpur Water Works.

I used to go early morning to Kanpur water works and spend entire day with engineers, water chemists and and filter operators. I could learn the daily problems in operation of water treatment plants, routine water testing and maintenance of registers. I had to get 55 tonnes of coal from nearby power station, get it crushed and graded to prepare 15 tonnes of coal with required specifications. I had made sampling arrangement by providing vertical widow in the wall of filter. I was also conducting bench scale experiments at IIT laboratory for comparing rapid sand filter with coal sand filter columns with different operating conditions. This work was done in the night after returning from city.

My guide for the project was Dr. G. D. Agrawal and he taught me how to translate laboratory scale research to field scale trial and develop design norms for augmentation of water treatment plants. I could get best speaker award for my paper in National Convention of Institute of Public Health Engineers at Calcutta in 1975. The award was given to me in second convention at New Delhi in 1976 at the hands of Hon. Minister Shri. Karan Sigh. The photos below show award receiving and my family in conference hall.

After my return to Sangli in 1976, I joined Dr. Subbarao in consultancy activities of Environmental Engineering.