Awareness can bring change in plumbing methods: Dholakia

Ahmedabad, June 22 (UNI) With traditional methods in construction giving way to modern methods, awareness is a key to changing quality of construction and newer plumbing methods, Dr Bakul Dholakia, director of Indian Institute of Management (IIM-A), said here today.

Addressing a two-day seminar on 'Plumbing 2007', organised by the Indian Plumbing Association(IPA), Mr Dholakia said ''In the last 10 to 15 years, traditional methods in construction has given way to modern methods. Awareness is leading to changing quality of construction and newer plumbing methods which will eventually give way to international benchmarking in the construction industry.'' ''We need to recognise that today the process of economic development is not about the rising income levels or living standards of the people. It is about the changing expectations and the awareness among the people,'' he said.

In his address, IPA president Sudhakaran Nair regretted that there was no professional course for plumbers in India unlike in developed countries. In UK and US, for instance, a plumber gets training from 5 to 7 years before he can practice.

''Given these drawbacks, we have started an institute for plumbers 'Indian Instutute of Plumbers' in Pune with a lab of world standards,'' Mr Nair said.

Dr R N Vakil, director of CEPT University, Ahmedabad, who was the guest of honour, said plumbing has come of age in India. The total volume of plumbing business is Rs 5,000 crore out of which only 10 per cent comes from trained plumbers.

''We need BTech and MTech in plumbing too, seeing that there is critical shortage of human resources. My university will be glad to collaborate with IPA in this regard,'' he added.

In his welcome address, IPA Gujarat Chapter (Ahmedabad) chairman Sandeep Engineer said Gujarat has become a vibrant state due to the construction boom, but unfortunately, critical aspects of plumbing has not been given proper thought.

Among the foreign delegates present were is International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), US, senior director Allen Inlow.

UNI