The National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur was established in 1958 as Central Public Health Engineering Research Institute (CPHERI), when environmental concerns were limited to human health with a focus on water supply/sewage disposal/ communicable diseases and to some extent on industrial pollution and occupational diseases. The chemical and biological solutions to address these problems were simple, though challenging. However, slowly world wide public awareness on the contamination of environment on regional to global scale started getting attention in 1970’s. Shrimati Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, rechristened the Institute as National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) in the year 1974. 

National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur is devoted to research and innovations in environmental science and engineering besides solving a range of problems posed by industry, government and public. It is a constituent of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi and has a nation-wide presence with its five zonal laboratories at Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai. The mandate of NEERI is: 

• To conduct research and developmental studies in environmental science and engineering

• To render assistance to the industries of the region, local bodies, etc. in solving the problems of environmental pollution by S&T intervention

• To interact and collaborate with academic and research institutions on environmental science and engineering for mutual benefit

• To participate in CSIR thrust area and mission projects

Thus, the Institute is dedicated to the service of mankind by providing innovative and effective S&T solutions to environmental and natural resource problems by conducting effective R&D programmes in environmental science and engineering essentially comprising:

• Characterization of environmental quality in terms of physical, chemical and biological parameters

• Technologies for prevention and control of air pollution, wastewater and solid waste in terms of their reduction, reuse, recycle, and finally safe disposal

• Innovative approaches to optimal utilization and conservation of environmental resources

NEERI is served by competent and experienced team of about 125 scientists in various core disciplines of relevance to environmental science and engineering, viz. environmental engineering, chemical engineering, environmental chemistry, environmental biology and fourteen other science and engineering disciplines. Professionally competent and highly skilled and experienced technical officers and technicians support the scientific personnel.