New Delhi, India – IAPMO-India, the Indian Plumbing Association (IPA) and the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) of the Government of India have signed today a Memorandum of Understanding in which the CPWD shall voluntarily adopt the Uniform Plumbing Code – India and implement the Plumbing Education to Employment Program (PEEP) curriculum jointly developed by IAPMO-India and the IPA.
The CPWD is the principal agency of the Government of India for construction and maintenance of all central government projects, except those of railways, communication, atomic energy, defense, airports (national and international) and radio. It oversees development of projects in the fields of civil, electrical, mechanical and air-conditioning engineering, architecture, horticulture and landscaping.
“The adoption of the Uniform Plumbing Code – India by the CPWD represents a monumental achievement toward the improved health and safety of the Indian people through nationwide standardization of plumbing practices and the installation and maintenance of plumbing/sanitation systems,” said Russ Chaney, executive director of The IAPMO Group, parent organization of IAPMO-India. “Furthermore, the PEEP educational curriculum will make great strides in developing a new highly-skilled and certified plumbing workforce to best implement and regulate the health, safety and sanitary provisions of the UPC-I.
“I wish to thank the CPWD for their faith in our work and commend the tireless efforts of IAPMO-India Director Abdul Matheen, Director of Plumbing Education and Certification Subhash Deshpande and all of the staff, both abroad and in the United States, who helped us complete this landmark achievement.”
In 2007, the IPA and IAPMO formed a partnership aimed at working together to establish a model code of plumbing installation and maintenance for all of India. The IPA’s Code Committee, with support from IAPMO staff, developed the resulting UPC-I, a code of practice that recognizes and utilizes proven international concepts; taking into consideration the established plumbing practices and customs in India.
The IAPMO-IPA partnership, however, did not stop with this colossal achievement. Understanding the need for plumbing education in India, IAPMO, the IPA and the Institute of Plumbing (IIP) formed a partnership agreement to provide plumbing education and training throughout India, leading to the establishment of IAPMO-India Corporation, with offices in Bengaluru and Pune.
A careful needs assessment of the plumbing industry and consultation with eminent members of the plumbing industry led to the development of PEEP, with the goal of preparing multiple levels of professional groups in India to read, understand, interpret, engage and apply the provisions of the UPC-I in order to design and perform initial installation and continued maintenance of plumbing systems. Through the diligent concerted efforts of IAPMO staff in the United States and India, PEEP programs targeting engineers, architects and construction managers have been fully developed and are near implementation, with numerous MoUs having been signed across the entire country of India.
“PEEP has made great strides in recent months,” said Allen Inlow, IAPMO senior director of Business and Product Development. “This MoU signing with CPWD is among the greatest of these strides. The voluntary adoption of the UPC-I and implementation of the PEEP Plumbing Systems Design and Plumbing Construction Management curriculum by CPWD is a true milestone.”
Last modified: July 3, 2009