Guidelines for green urbanisation

The Ministry of Urban Development has proposed environmental guidelines for construction projects in urban areas. Nidhi Adlakha reports

October 02, 2015 09:12 pm | Updated 09:46 pm IST

Developers are required to install STPs and one might wonder if this (cost of setting up the facility) will lead to an increase in the overall selling price of the units.

Developers are required to install STPs and one might wonder if this (cost of setting up the facility) will lead to an increase in the overall selling price of the units.

By 2030, India’s total built-up space of 25 billion sq. ft. is expected to increase to 80 billion sq. ft. and by 2031, around 600 million people would have made urban India their home. With nearly two-thirds of India’s 2030 building stock yet to be built, there is significant scope for the large-scale implementation of sustainable urbanisation across the country.

Addressing the need to build sensitively, state governments have now agreed to comply with the proposed environmental guidelines for construction projects in urban areas. At a recent workshop organised by the Ministry of Urban Development, over 30 parameters that need to be complied with for efficient management of energy, water, land, solid waste, air quality and noise levels during pre-construction, construction and post-construction, were pointed out.

Complying with the newly regulated norms means that the developers have to mandatorily adhere to participate in a regular energy audit by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, plant one tree for every 100 sq.m. of land, install sewage treatment plants (STPs) in large projects and set up waste disposal systems, among other norms. Vineet Relia, managing director, SARE Homes, the company that has invested in solar and wind renewable projects across India, says the construction sector in India is one of the highest consumers of natural resources and energy. “A sustainable development approach towards construction can enhance the economic and environmental well-being of our communities,” he says.

It was also decided that 1 per cent of connected applied load of power shall be met from renewable energy sources. This is a difficult clause to adhere to, however, developers do adopt initiatives like solar panel technology and low-temperature thermal solar energy, says A. Shankar, National director-strategic consulting, JLL. The typical solar modules achieve efficiencies between 10-15 per cent, and are an attractive proposition, if marketed well to the end-users. Another valuable tool for energy savings is the smart grid. It provides power utilities with digital intelligence to the power system network and comes with smart metering techniques, digital sensors, and intelligent control systems with analytical tools. Shushmul Maheshwari, chief executive, RNCOS, says, “The smart grid enables various options to add renewable energy to the grid at transmission and distribution levels. It equips grid operators with new tools to reduce power demand quickly when wind or solar power dips, and it also has more energy storage capabilities.”

Developers are required to install STPs and one might wonder if this (cost of setting up the facility) will lead to an increase in the overall selling price of the units. Mallika Ravi, CEO, Lancor Holdings, says in suburban areas where sewerage systems are not in place, developers are already providing STPs. “The capacity of an STP is determined by the norms prescribed in the National Building Code, where the per capita consumption of water is limited to 135 litres per head/per day for residential buildings. Similarly, there are stipulations made for hospitals, commercial and industrial buildings,” she says.

Analysing the overall benefits of the guidelines, Maheshwari of RNCOS, says such an initiative will help in increasing the market value of projects, and will go a long way in the construction of ‘green’ buildings. “While the norms will have a direct impact on the operational costs of residential and commercial projects, they will significantly cut down operational costs in the long run. Energy-efficient lighting, STPs, and rainwater harvesting systems, must be installed during the initial phases of construction,” he says. “The proposed guidelines have the potential to upgrade building development standards of the country, and make a paradigm shift in the way housing projects are planned, designed, and executed in the country,” says a spokesperson from the House of Hiranandani.

State governments have made the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) compulsory for new commercial construction, thereby setting an important precedent to promote energy efficiency. Relia of SARE Homes, says, “Green buildings constructed under the ECBC code will save energy and lower electricity bills.”

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.