The Hindu 31.08.2009
Green buildings, need of the hour
Staff Reporter
| Aggressive campaign should be launched to promote the concept: D. Purandeswari |
Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam 
Handbook on green buildings being released by Finance Minister K. Rosaiah in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. AU Vice-Chancellor B. Satyanarayana, emeritus president of ISHRAE, seminar convener K. Leela Prasad, Union Minister of State for Union HRD D. Purandeswari, JNTU Vice-Chancellor Allam Appa Rao and VPT Chairman Ajeya Kallam are also seen. —
VISAKHAPATNAM: The importance of promoting green building concepts and evolving energy efficient practices was underscored at a seminar here on green building on Sunday.
The seminar was held at Andhra University Platinum Jubilee Guesthouse by the city branch of Indian Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE) with the support of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development D. Purandeswari said an aggressive campaign should be launched on promoting green buildings and green technologies in view of threats posed due to global warming and climate change.
She said sustainable environment was the need of the hour and pointed out how in the ancient time, people used to live in eco-friendly huts made with mud walls and thatched roofs.
She said the aim of green building practices was to reduce environmental degradation and described how in the United States, 22 lakh acres of green wetland was being created every year. Due to sensitisation and legislative measures, power consumption by the buildings had been reduced from 68 per cent of total power in 2002 to 40 percent in 2006. The water consumption had also come down drastically.
Ms. Purandeswari criticised the Kyoto Protocol and said India had a carbon dioxide emission of four per cent as against permissible limit of five per cent. India was also a role model in promoting green building concept and disclosed that as of now, a space of 275 million square feet had been created with green building concepts.
Handbook released
AP Minister for Finance K. Rosaiah, who released a handbook on green building said a green building would always give good health, ambience and satisfaction to its occupants. Allaying fears on green buildings that they were expensive and time-consuming, he said there was no truth in such assumptions. He said the people should be educated on multiple benefits of green building concepts and energy efficient practices. National president of ISHRAE M.P. Agarwal presided. AU Vice-Chancellor Beela Satyanarayana, JNTU (Kakinada) V-C Allam Appa Rao, Visakhapatnam Port Trust Chairman Ajeya Kallam and emiretus president of ISHRAE Prem C. Jain and others spoke. Event convener K. Leela Prasad proposed a vote of thanks.
