Building Ecotopia

Most developers understand that green buildings are the way forward. They have a checklist of what constitutes a green building and ways to make one.

- Jayashree Kini Mendes

There’s a general tendency among Indian companies to remind everyone about the green building they live or work in. The reason. Green buildings, though popular as an idea, are not actually constructed by the book in its totality. However, according to an article by Anuj Puri, chairman, ANAROCK, though at a nascent stage, India has emerged as one of the leading countries in terms of green buildings’ projects. India ranks only second after the US in terms of the number of green technology projects and built-up area. More than 4,300 projects with an approximate 4.7 billion sq-ft of built-up area are registered for green technology in the country. But are we really doing much?

It helps to go green, is an axiom we often hear. The government too is offering subsidies and incentives to developers constructing green buildings. T Chitty Babu, chairman and CEO, Akshaya Pvt Ltd, says, “Currently, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) is offering out of turn consideration for all green pre-certified projects. Other than this, there are state-wise incentives. States such as Punjab, Maharashtra, Andhra, and West Bengal are offering incentives such as increase FAR and reduction in property taxes. Currently, there are no such incentives in Tamil Nadu yet.”

The government of India provides fast-track environmental clearance for green building projects which are pre-certified/provisionally certified by IGBC. “They offer additional 5% FAR free of charge for projects which are rated Gold or above by IGBC. Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), offer an additional FAR of 3%, 5% and 7% for green buildings rated as Silver, Gold, and Platinum respectively by IGBC,” says Vivek Mohanani, MD & CEO, EKTA World.