'Awareness on green concepts key to save environment'

As part of celebrations to mark the occasion, the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) had organised a painting competition for underprivileged kids on Wednesday. Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike commissioner Bharatlal Meena, who participated in the celebrations remarked that awareness of concept of green buildings will be the key in saving natural resources like water, energy and forests. He also lamented the rampant expansion of cities has been taking a heavy toll on the environment.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, the Chairman of the Karnataka chapter of the IGBC, Syed Mohamed Beary said that green buildings were essentially minimalistic in nature. “Everything is flexible with green buildings. They are designed in such a way as to consume as little energy as possible,” he said. He added that historically, Indian houses and buildings were green-friendly and minimalistic as the design ensured ventilation, natural light and minimal use of power.

He also revealed that the IGBC had proposed to the government of Karnataka to bring in regulations to make all future townships green compliant. Beary added that the IGBC had a target of one billion square feet of green buildings by 2012. Currently, there are 370 million square feet of green buildings in the country and each green building saves 30 to 40 per cent of energy on an average.

Meanwhile, over 400 children from various slums participated in an on-the-spot painting competition on “Swacha Nagara-Hasiru Nagara.” The dignitaries present at the celebrations planted sapling at Cubbon Park to mark the occasion.