From 2019, all new building projects will be green in Goa
nnouncing the government’s intent to promote green buildings in the state, minister for town and country planning Vijay Sardesai, said on Wednesday that from January 1, 2019, all construction projects, including private-owned except residential houses, will have to be “green buildings”.“The town and country planning department is in talks with the Indian Green Buildings Council (IGBC) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) to have a green building code for Goa,” Sardesai said, adding that the under-construction Mopa airport will be a green building. “This is the biggest government construction in the history of Goa. It should be a green building, otherwise I will not approve it. I am very clear about it. Anything that comes from the government side should be green.” Green buildings are structures that ensure efficient use of natural resources like building materials, water, energy and other resources with minimal generation of non-degradable waste. TERI and theministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) work in close coordination to promote green buildings in India. The IGBC rates a project as silver, gold or platinum as per the pre-defined threshold criteria developed by it for green buildings.“Though green buildings provide long-term benefits, they entail increase in cost by 17%. When the government wants to promote green buildings, it is only apt that we practice what we preach,” Sardesai said. Speaking after unveiling the plaque for demolition and re-construction of Government Industrial Training Institute and Multi-Purpose Higher Secondary School at Borda, Sardesai advocated vertical growth with increase in floor area ratio (FAR) for construction projects. He said that the school project had been pending for years and that he had raised the issue in every assembly session while in the opposition. “This college is for the next generation and after its completion world class educational facilities with eclassrooms, good sports facilities like cricket and football grounds, will be made available at the multi-purpose institute, which will cater to the entire South Goa,” Sardesai said. The TCP minister said that the Rs 25-crore project by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation will be completed within one year.He promised many projects will take shape in the constituency.
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