Green footprint

The fifth edition of the 'GRIHA Summit' was launched by ADaRSH in association with TERI and MNRE. Date: January 16-18, 2014 Venue: India Habitat Centre, New Delhi Organiser: ADaRSH, MNRE and TERI The GRIHA Summit 2014 was a three-day event, attended by over 400 professionals from the building and construction industry. The event was launched by ADaRSH in association with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). With 2,400 exhibitors, 130,000 visitors and 120 plus education sessions, certification programmes and conferences, it was an excellent platform to share knowledge in different provinces of the green building industry. At the event, both TERI and ADaRSH launched the GRIHA Prakriti (ratings for schools). Apart from this initiative, it also plans to create a more sustainable education system by imparting environmentally ethical values among the students and faculty members. This will prove beneficial for the children as they will develop a responsible attitude towards the environment. The GRIHA Prakriti plan will involve training of staff members and also evaluate environmentally responsible practices on and off campus. The guest of honour at the event was Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister of Assam, he said, "As an ordinary citizen, I am also concerned about problems such as climate change, and we have been experiencing this problem in Assam as well. I am glad that we are working with TERI and are taking the green building movement forward. We need to use our resources efficiently for a sustainable future". Dr RK Pachauri, Director General, TERI, mentioned, "Given the growth in India's population and projected increase in income, it is estimated that a large share of buildings that will be standing in 2030 are yet to be built. Buildings of various kinds consume huge quantities of energy, which can lock us into a pattern of energy and resource consumption extending several decades for the life of these buildings. However, now we know that with proper design, planning and construction, buildings can be more energy-efficient. TERI has been at the forefront of promoting green and efficient buildings in the country, and the GRIHA Summit is a unique event where experiences on successful green buildings are shared, and plans and policies are developed for the future". In his presentation, Dr Pachauri highlighted that 10 million sq m of a GRIHA 5 Star certified project can save: Enough electricity to power about 100,000 urban homes. Enough water to meet the needs of 22,000 urban homes. Monitored data to ensure compliance. 6 MW PV installation to enhance supply. Mili Majumdar, Director, Sustainable Habitat and Secretary cum Treasurer, ADaRSH, said, "GRIHA Prakriti is a rating system for existing schools that shall help transform the minds of the youth and become more environment-friendly. It will also help school campuses to be more ecologically sensitive." Provisionally rated GRIHA projects Govardhan Ecovillage, Maharashtra (5 Star) Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, New Delhi (5 Star) Akshay Urja Bhawan HAREDA, Haryana (5 Star) Gandhi Research Foundation, Maharashtra (5 Star) Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon (TERI-GRIHA rated: 4 Star) SABIC Research and Technology Pvt Ltd, Karnataka (4 Star) Administration Building for GAIL Compressor Station, Haryana (4 Star) CSOI Club Building Chanakyapuri, New Delhi (3 Star) Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Civic Center and Pratyaksha Kar Bhawan, New Delhi (TERI-GRIHA rated: 2 Star).