Mr. Rajesh Pandit, Senior Executive Director, CBRE South Asia Pvt. Ltd.

Develop More Intelligent and Eco-Friendly Satellite Cities

Mr. Rajesh Pandit, Senior Executive Director, CBRE South Asia Pvt. Ltd., shares with Built Expressions that we need to focus on adopting technologies and practices that help in post-construction monitoring mechanism for measurement and verification of intended designs in India.

BE:  As you offer consultancy in the sustainability area, what are the several issues you have identified for sustainable urban built environment? How do we proactively address them?

• Lifestyle Changes: The way we commute, car-pooling, the way we dispose waste, usage of energy efficient appliances, walking to work etc.
• Sufficient Lung Space Provision: Open Space Reservation (OSR) implementation needs to be effective as there are no clear guidelines on OSR utilization, and most spaces are kept vacant. OSR is typically a portion of the land being developed, which is handed over to local authorities for future use as open/green spaces.
• Development of Satellite Cities: As retrofitting of existing cities to Green Cities will prove to be a difficult task because of infrastructure and space constrains.
• Green Initiatives: Green initiatives, including best practices, need to be updated according to the latest Development Control Rules.
• Adopt best practices from around the globe 

One can proactively address the above issues by following National Building Codes, as well as all Development Control Rules.

BE: What are the effects of Urbanization on environment? How do we mitigate this challenge in urban environment?

• Infrastructure strain: Urbanization and higher FSI impacts existing infrastructure, as urbanization takes place faster than infrastructure development.
• Re-look at Development Control Regulations: This is specifically required for incorporating Green norms, incentives for sustainable development, incentive/tax benefits for utilization of roof tops for solar power generation, and planning parameters such as plot coverage, FSI, OSR norms, Zero Water Discharge, etc.

One might also mitigate the effects of urbanization by developing satellite cities that are clean, intelligent and eco-friendly-rather than merely concentrating on developing real estate for cities and their suburbs. 

BE: How do you think the stakeholders in the construction industry are gearing up to implement the sustainability policies towards achieving the green environment?

• Developers are already aware of Green Buildings, for residential as well as for commercial usage
• By using eco-friendly construction materials and construction practices
• Manufacturers are adopting BEE star-rating for their products
• Architects and designers are adopting Green/sustainable designs right at the conceptual stage

The construction industry in general adopts the guidelines provided by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) and GRIHA for the construction of Green and sustainable buildings.

To make Green Buildings economically viable and feasible, aspects such as tax benefits, government incentives, economical funding, etc., need to be re-looked at, for commercial as well as residential sectors.

BE: What are the energy efficiency options that should be made mandatory in a building at the time of plan approval? Are there any steps initiated by the concerned authorities in this direction?

• Adopt best practices from the Indian Green Building Council, GRIHA, and Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) etc.
• Adopt the latest Green and sustainable building practices as per the National Building Codes
• Focus on usage of renewable energy
• Rain Water harvesting to be made mandatory
• Solar purchasing obligations
• Usage of Green construction materials  by adopting GRIHA / IGBC norms
• Usage of energy efficient products to be made mandatory, such as:
  • Star-rated / energy efficient air-conditioning systems (chillers, air handling units, cooling towers etc.)
  • Energy efficient motors
  • LED lighting with automation
  • Energy efficient façade designs and building orientation
  • Energy efficient vertical transport systems
  • White roofs

• Interactive and intelligent building automation systems should be made mandatory too

To Summarize:

• Adopt latest green building and sustainable construction norms as part of National Building Code
• Advocate mandatory usage of Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) both for new construction and existing buildings
• Developing satellite cities that are intelligent and eco-friendly
• Sustainability reporting should be made mandatory
• Focus on existing building up-gradation by adopting IGBC green existing building operation and maintenance norms
• Focus on post construction operation and maintenance of buildings
• Post construction “Sustainability Reporting” to be made mandatory, covering aspects such as:
  • Designed and actual energy foot print
  • Designed and actual water foot print
  • Carbon foot print reporting
  • Waste recycling and disposal

Currently there is very little focus on post-construction monitoring mechanism for measurement and verification of intended designs in India. These are technologies and practices that we need to adopt.