Hyderabad: Telangana IT and Industries Minister, K T Rama Rao (KTR), lauded the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) for propelling India to become one of the top three countries worldwide with the largest registered green building footprint.
Speaking at the First Green Property Show organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry-Green Building Council (CII-IGBC) at Hitex, Madhapur on Friday, KTR commended the event for showcasing Green Homes, Buildings, and Products, providing valuable insights into sustainability for visitors.
IGBC, a part of the Confederation of Indian Industry since 2001, has played a pivotal role in spearheading the Green Building Movement in India. The country has achieved an impressive 10.27 billion sq.ft of green building footprint, positioning it among the global leaders in this domain, he said.
KTR pledged full support from Telangana to CII-IGBC in their green initiatives and endeavors. He highlighted the state’s pioneering contributions to the green building movement, including India’s first green building, green home, green airport, and green factory building.
Telangana’s commitment to green practices extends beyond buildings and campuses, he said, the state is implementing sustainability measures in various projects, such as the New Secretariat Building, T-Hub, T-Works, Police Command Control Centre, New Collectorate buildings, Hospitals & healthcare campuses, Industrial Parks, and IT Towers.
Furthermore, Telangana is actively adopting the IGBC Green Cities rating in cities like Hyderabad, Warangal, Khammam, and Karimnagar, setting an exemplary benchmark for other cities aiming to adopt sustainable principles.
Under the flagship program “Telangana ku Haritha Haram,” the state has significantly increased its tree cover, from 24 per cent to 33 per cent of the total geographical area.
Telangana achieved a notable growth of 48.66 sq.km in tree cover, reaching an overall green cover of 81.8 sq.km by 2021, thanks to the continuous support from CII-IGBC in conducting large-scale plantation drives.
KTR expressed the state’s ambition to extend sustainable principles to rural areas as well. Gangadevipally village in Warangal District has already achieved the highest rating level, Platinum, under the IGBC Green Village rating system. Telangana aims to have thousands of villages adopting sustainability principles with the support of CII-IGBC.
He said the government of Telangana is committed to sustainable economic development, adopting a multi-pronged approach to drive this agenda forward. With over 50 per cent of the population projected to live in urban areas soon, Hyderabad, the state’s capital, is targeted to become a global city through various programs.
KTR emphasised the importance of going green in all upcoming building projects and retrofitting existing buildings to adhere to sustainable practices. He urged everyone to embrace green as a way of life and pass on this legacy to future generations.
Appreciating CII-IGBC for hosting the first Green Property Show in Telangana, KTR expressed confidence that the event would create awareness and promote sustainable living among the masses.
