Hello India, this is Germany! - UNITRACC and INDSTT train Indian decision makers with a course on trenchless technologies

The concept of the course combined classroom teaching with e-learning to so-called blended learning. It allowed a concise insight into the current trenchless alternatives for the new installation and rehabilitation from the repair with robot techniques, over renovation by means of CIPP to steerable and non-steerable new installation techniques.

Already on the first two days of the nine-day seminar the Indian participants of the course had the chance to get to know Robert Stein via live video conferencing. The conference was opened with the words: "Hello India, this is Germany!" and helped to present and convey the course material, which however was dealt with in detail during class room training led by Mr Niranjan Swarup, Executive Director of the INDSTT, in New-Delhi. Besides trenchless systems and procedures, here the participants were informed about how to prepare and produce tender documents and schedules of rates.

On two days of the programme the participants got the opportunity of visiting construction sites where they had the opportunity of not only getting to see the theoretical side, but also of actually getting their hands on trenchless technologies. In this way, the entire training programme conveyed the know-how that decision makers from the field of new installation and rehabilitation of drains and sewers need. The aim of the course was to equip the participants with the knowledge to actively take part in the discussion on choosing a suitable trenchless technique for a particular job.

The INDSTT was established in 1995 with the support of the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India and has supported the development of trenchless industries since then. In India, especially in urban areas there are extensive programmes for the new installation of supply and discharge networks as well as a great need for rehabilitation of existing pipeline infrastructures.

This very problem was tackled by Robert Stein in his lecture titled "Trenchless Technologies for the sustainable supply and disposal infrastructure of mega cities" held at No-Dig India 2007. He pointed to the fact that especially the importance of sustainability has to be taken care of when it comes to rehabilitation and new installation. This particularly applies to so-called mega cities, whose infrastructures have to adapt to the growing demands caused by the growth of population.

"The cooperation between the INDSTT and UNITRACC aims at improving the quality of the networks' planning, construction and operation," Robert Stein points out.


Further information:

Knowledge Factory GmbH
Ms Tanja Herzberg
Konrad-Zuse-Str. 6
44801 Bochum
Tel: +49 (0) 234 51 67 - 123
Fax: +49 (0) 234 51 67 - 109
Email: Tanja.Herzberg@stein.de

Indian Society for Trenchless Technology
Mr Niranjan Swarup
908, Hemkunt Chambers
89, Nehru Place
New Delhi 110019
Tel: +91 11 41617862
Fax: +91 11 41617863
Email: indstt@indstt.org
Web: www.indstt.org