Green growth: Rajasthan crosses 600 IGBC-certified buildings, ranks in top 10
More than 600 IGBC-rated green buildings in Rajasthan now
JAIPUR: Rajasthan has emerged as one of the top 10 leading states with more than 600 Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) -rated green buildings covering 185 million sq ft, demonstrating an uptrend in
sustainable development
.
Corporate and government offices have been at the forefront of adopting green certification, primarily due to the benefits in energy and water consumption.
M Anand, deputy executive director of CII-IGBC, said these buildings achieve 40-50%
energy savings
compared to traditional structures. Water demand reduction ranges from 30-35%, he added. He said earlier the construction of green buildings used to cost about 20% more compared to conventional houses.
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"Now the price difference is merely 2-3%. The additional investment is typically recovered within 18 months through reduced operational costs, while the benefits of lower energy and water consumption continue throughout the building's lifetime," said M Anand at a CII-Rajasthan event on environment protection.
Besides corporate offices and govt buildings, green certification in the real estate sector has also witnessed a sharp increase with growing awareness about the benefits among the end-users and the govt incentives offered to developers.
"The market penetration of green buildings in Rajasthan in the new projects currently stands at 10-12%, marking substantial growth over the past decade. Green homes have proven to be better investments than instruments like gold and equity," said Anand.
Citing examples, he said these buildings incorporate innovative plumbing features to reduce water use, install rainwater harvesting facilities, and recycle grey and black water.
The hospitality sector, particularly hotel chains, has embraced
green building certification
, recognizing the long-term benefits of sustainable construction. While architectural expertise for green buildings was concentrated in metro areas earlier, the concept has gradually expanded to smaller cities.
Current CII-Rajasthan chairman Sanjay Agarwal and the previous chairman Arun Misra also spoke on the initiatives CII is pursuing to increase the industry's green footprint.
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