Efforts on to encourage green buildings

Buildings can go green not only in design but also with the materials used for construction and appliances installed in the interiors.

The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) is working on measures such as standards for the green materials used and creating facilities to test these materials.

M. Anand, principal counsellor of IGBC, told

The Hindu here on Monday that over 200 material manufacturers, who make green products, have registered with it.

About 2,400 construction projects in 130 cities and towns in the country, and which will have close to 1.85 billion sq.ft built-up area, have registered with the council for green certification. This includes 135 factories.

As many as 470 projects have received the certification and are functional. About 1,000 residential projects have also registered with the council under its green houses project and have 900 million sq.ft. of area. Apart from apartments and independent houses, these include affordable housing projects too.

While these are all upcoming projects, the IGBC launched green rating system for existing buildings as the stock of existing buildings is high in the country. The focus here is on the performance of the building and these are all non-residential buildings. So far, 20 buildings have registered for certification.

In order to encourage green buildings, the council is working with the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and projects that have pre-certification of the IGBC will get priority in environment clearance. The council has also signed an agreement with the National Housing Bank to refinance banks that give loans at concessional rate of interest for green projects. As many as 1,800 dwelling units have benefited from this, he said.

In Coimbatore, 20 projects have registered for green certification and five are certified.