Hyderabad: In a significant development towards sustainable development, a whopping 21 lakh apartments have been given Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) certification from the council across the country. It has been learnt that so far 2700 projects have been registered by the IGBC, part of the Confederation of Indian Industry aiming at sustainable development of all and facilitate India emerge as a global leader towards sustainable development by 2025.
A thousand developers across the country are undertaking green buildings in more than 130 cities, an official said. According to IGBC, while green residences are spread only to some major cities in the world, in India, the arrival of eco-friendly residences has already started even in small cities. At present, 8.30 billion square feet of green constructions have come up across the country in residential, commercial, and other sectors.
There are 8254 green building projects going on across the country. IGBC has set a target of reaching 10 billion sqft by the end of this year. The practice of green building construction in our country started in 2001 in Hyderabad. Godrej CCI Green Business Center building in Madhapur has been recognized as the first green building.
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In the same year, the first Green Building Congress was held with few speakers. By the 20th Congress, the green spirit had spread across the country. It has grown to become the largest conference in Asia. So far 5144 projects have been registered in Telangana. C. Shekhar Reddy, Chairman, IGBC, Hyderabad Chapter said they are manufacturing the materials required for the construction of green buildings unlike the import of the material from abroad in the past.
“More than 500 products are available with us as of now. If builders take precautions at the planning stage itself, the cost will be lowered,” he said while recommending people to construct green buildings. KS Venkatagiri, Executive Director, IGBC said the IGBC encourages developers to build green housing. As a result, the earlier gap between the IGBC and the developers has narrowed considerably, he added.
“More people are coming forward now. Many builders are using green products in their projects even if they don't get the rating,” he added. As per Anand, Deputy Executive Director, IGBC, with green buildings, the green habitats not only help in conserving the environment but also improve the health of the people living in those houses.
“IGBC-certified projects will reduce operational costs during construction and thereafter. The percentage of water consumption will decrease. With reusable materials, there is less impact on the environment,” he added. The IGBC formed in the year 2001 offers a wide array of services which include developing new green building rating programmes, certification services and green building training programmes.
The council also organises Green Building Congress, its annual flagship event on green buildings.
