Green habitat rules in a month

Under the proposal, integrated townships, new urban complexes and special economic zones may have to get green rating certification. Large projects involving the development of industrial, commercial and housing clusters will come under government scrutiny. 

“The guidelines (for large developments) is close to being finalised,” said an official with the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE). “We may announce it in a month,” he said, requesting anonymity.

The MNRE has constituted a committee of experts to get a comprehensive set of suggestions from builders, town planners, architects, government officials, developers, environment experts and officials. The exercise is also being supported by the Association for Development and Research of Sustainable Habitat (ADARSH), jointly supported by the MNRE and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

“Once established through a series of pilot projects in township projects of large developers, the guidelines would pave the way for a national rating system for larger habitats such as special economic zones and new cities,” said the official. The GRIHA secretariat is gathering data from both domestic and overseas sources to develop guidelines for green habitats. “It will take into consideration several aspects including power supply, transportation, water supply among others,” said Siva Kishan, chief executive of GRIHA secretariat.

While the new rating would be voluntary initially, the government could make it mandatory depending on its success in the pilot projects, said the MNRE official. The new rating will also follow different set of guidelines depending on the location of the project and the climatic condition in the region. MNRE has already divided the country into six climatic zones. Green rating of buildings started in 2003 and so far 70 projects have been empanelled under GRIHA.

Source: Times of India