SMC plans ‘green’ homes to counter ravages of global warming in Surat

The rising level of green gas emission in the atmosphere has become a matter of great concern these days, especially among rapidly developing cities like Surat. Keeping this in view, the Surat Municipal Corporation has also come up with measures to counter rise in emission of harmful gases in atmosphere and is planning to introduce green buildings.

Surat is included in the list of 17 Asian cities selected by US based Rockefeller Foundation, to study the climate changes and its effect on the city. Of the various preventive measures initiated to avert such situation that different organisations and even the state government has taken up, Surat too has been asked to prepare a carbon index.

Therefore, the civic body is planning to prepare a code for promoting green buildings in the city, which, once its done, will ask architects and land developers to plan and design green buildings in the city, to increase its proportion.

Green buildings will not only help in reducing green gas emission, but will also save energy. Though it is under only in initial stages, but the civic body hopes that if a code is prepared, it can ask land developers to have a certain proportion of such buildings in their projects. At present, a private company in Surat has prepared two green buildings at Hazira.

“More than 50% population in India lives in city and there is huge emission in cities like Surat due to continuous migration. Green buildings are such which can save 30-40% of energy apart from reducing green gas in atmosphere. Green buildings use solar and wind energy, rain water harvesting, locally available building materials, mud bricks, certified woods and proper ventilation system. Such things reduce energy consumption, which in turn helps preserve environmental balance,” said Jatin Shah, a civic engineer.

Shah added that if the civic body can impose the concept of green buildings in the commercial sector too, it will benefit the environment tremendously. While acknowledging that the civic body is mulling on green buildings in the city, municipal commissioner S Aparna highlighted that in order to promote the concept, it is working towards preparing a code for such eco-friendly buildings.

“First we will consult cities (Ahmedabad and Delhi), which have already started work in this direction and will take their suggestions. Based upon their experiences and guidance, the civic body will formulate a code itself and for better implementation of the plan. Without a specific code, SMC cannot direct anybody to develop such buildings,” Aparna added.