Press Note
GRIHA Council hosted its second regional conclave in Hyderabad on 30 August 2024 to “Accelerate Climate Action in the Built Environment”
Hyderabad, 30-08-2024: GRIHA Council hosted its 2nd GRIHA Regional Conclave in Hyderabad, Telangana on 30th August 2024 centered around the theme ‘Accelerating Climate Action in the Built Environment’. This was second in the series of conclaves that are planned throughout the year, lining up with the annual GRIHA Summit, all centered around the same theme.
The event was graced by the presence of Shri. Sridhar Babu Duddilla, Hon’ble Minister, Information Technology, Electronics & Communications; Industries & Commerce and Legislative Affairs, Government of Telangana. The Hon’ble minister emphasized on the escalated pace of climate change and the need to sensitise ourselves to combat it, to secure the lives of our future generations. He shared about one of the initiatives of the Telangana government – the HYDRA policy – which is to conserve all the natural streams, water bodies and natural streams in the state to counter the problem of flooding, which is inevitably a result of rapid urbanization.
The technical sessions shared enriching insights by experts on the pivotal role that is played by policymakers and implementation of these policies, integration of “smart” in the various aspects of infrastructure development and shifting focus from conventional building materials to low carbon alternatives.
Smt. Harichandana Dasari, IAS, Special Secretary to Government, Roads and Buildings Department, Government of Telangana highlighted that buildings should be designed by borrowing the traditional wisdom and learnings from our rich history, where past structures were built keeping sustainability, and relevance to regional context as core principles.
“Development cannot happen at the cost of the environment. Let us remind ourselves that we are standing in the hottest year of the past, and coldest year of the future. We need to build infrastructure that is in tandem with climate action. GRIHA Council is committed in acting as a catalyst in this journey.” said Shri. Sanjay Seth, Vice President & Chief Executive Officer, GRIHA Council & Senior Director, Sustainable Infrastructure Programme, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
A publication titled “Mindful Impressions – Targeting 2070 Workforce” was launched at the event showcasing a compilation of the environmental impact of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) campuses across the country. In his address, Shri. T Gopalakrishna, Deputy Commissioner, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, Regional Office, Hyderabad, Ministry of Education, Government of India, commended GRIHA Council’s initiative to involve the school children of NVS as brand ambassadors to achieve the key goals in sustainability. An online tool on GRIHA for Existing Schools (GRIHA ES) rating was also launched during the event.
GRIHA Council signed two Memorandums of Understanding during the event, one with Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), represented by Shri. Ashish Kapoor, Chief Architect, BMRCL and one with Vellore Institute of Technology, represented by Dr. Madhumati A, Director, V-SPARC, VIT. The event concluded with a cultural performance to segue into an evening of networking among the attendees.
The Knowledge Partner for the event was Ela Green Buildings & Infrastructure Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and the Event Partner was Asai.
About GRIHA Council:
GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) is jointly established by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India and TERI in 2007. It holistically evaluates the environmental performance of buildings over its entire life cycle based on qualitative and quantitative criteria, thereby providing a definitive standard for ‘green buildings’ and habitats. GRIHA has been developed for various building typologies considering the Indian climate and construction practices. India, in its NDC document submitted at COP 21 in Paris has highlighted GRIHA as an indigenous green building rating system developed in India. GRIHA is a part of the mitigation strategy for combating climate change in India’s “Nationally Determined Contributions” submitted to UNFCCC by the Ministry of Environment, Forests C Climate Change (MOEFCCC), Government of India. GRIHA has received accolades in spheres such as energy efficiency, site planning, conservation, and efficient utilization of resources.
For more details, contact:
Mr. Yash Nayyar, Assistant Project Officer, GRIHA Council
+91 94104 44853