'Green building' concept based on Mahavira's 'Aparigraha':Expert

New Delhi, Apr 18 (UNI) Lord Mahavira's philosophy of 'Aparigraha' (non-possession) propounded about 2600 years came handy today for experts and senior officials to explain the concept behind 'green building' at a seminar here.

Today is the birth anniversary of the 24th and the last Jain Teethankar who urged the people to acquire and use resources only as much as required.

Those attending the seminar, including Minister of State for Forest and Environment Namo Narain Meena, and Urban Planning Expert TK Ravindran, strssed the need for adopting the same attitude today to reduce the stress on natural resources.

Explaining a green building as a structure that resorts to efficient utilisation of energy, water, recycled material and prevents wastage of all kinds, Mr Meena said such buildings were the need of the hour at a time when developmental activities coupled with the growing number of people in the country were leading to an unprecedented exploitation of the natural wealth.

He was speaking after inaugurating a seminar on 'Green Buildings:Striding towards Environment Protection and Clearance', organised by the 'Search Foundation' and the Ministry of Forest and Environment.

Underlining the fact of growing population and urbanisation, the Minister today said the delay in the adoption of 'green building' concept would have grave economic and environmental and economic costs for the country.

He said the USA has adopted LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) Standards, and more and more countries were adopting such norms.

In India, he said, a national level Green Building Council under the aegis of the Confedration of Indian Industries(CII) had been set up, and it was working for evolving green standards(LEED India) and their adoption by the industry. Besides TERI has formalised its building-rating system called Griha (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment), he pointed out.

The Government has taken many proactive measures to facilitate the adoption of 'Green' philosophy by the real estate develpers, one of which was the Environment Impact Assessment guidelines which had streamlined the process of environmental clearances.

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