Introduction:Forum For A Better Hyderabad was formed under the banner of Hyderabad Bachao (Save Hyderabad), when some of the non-government organizations and citizens, concerned about environmental and developmental issues in and around Hyderabad city, came together in 24th June 2000.The main focus of the Forum will be on advocacy of sustainable development, by highlighting the economic and ecological impacts of environmental problems likely to be created by the developmental activities being undertaken without proper appraisal and assessment.All those associated with the Forum have already a record of their own in rousing public awareness on many of the environmental issues faced in the twin cities. They have also had some success in certain areas through systematic efforts to convince the authorities or even approaching the Courts of Law. But there was a need to speak in one voice on some major issues, while keeping up the individual initiatives.About FunctionForum For A Better Hderabad has ten working groups, namely

(1) Urban development, slums and other related matters,(2) Heritage, culture, etc.(3) Rock Formation & Ecology,(4, 9 & 10) Urban Parks, Forests, Birds & Wildlife,(5) Urban Lakes & Water bodies,(6 & 7) Urban Transport, noise pollution, Auto Pollution, Industrial pollution, etc. and(8) Solid Waste Management.Each group has a Convenor to take-up the activity or issue of the respective group.

The objectives of the Forum are:a.To be proactive and constructiveb.To mobilize public opinion, andc.To speak in one voice on major issues, where there is lack of transparency or neglect of environmental considerations in decision making.Introduction: Forum For A Better Hyderabad was formed under the banner of Hyderabad Bachao (Save Hyderabad), when some of the non-government organizations and citizens, concerned about environmental and developmental issues in and around Hyderabad city, came together in 24thJune 2000. The main focus of the Forum will be on advocacy of sustainable development, by highlighting the economic and ecological impacts of environmental problems likely to be created by the developmental activities being undertaken without proper appraisal and assessment. All those associated with the Forum have already a record of their own in rousing public awareness on many of the environmental issues faced in the twin cities. They have also had some success in certain areas through systematic efforts to convince the authorities or even approaching the Courts of Law. But there was a need to speak in one voice on some major issues, while keeping up the individual initiatives

About Function Forum For A Better Hderabad has ten working groups, namely (1) Urban development, slums and other related matters, (2) Heritage, culture, etc. (3) Rock Formation & Ecology, (4, 9 & 10) Urban Parks, Forests, Birds & Wildlife, [5) Urban Lakes & Water bodies, [6 & 7] Urban Transport, noise pollution, Auto Pollution, Industrial pollution, etc. and (8) Solid Waste Management. Each group has a Convenor to take-up the activity or issue of the respective group

The objectives of the Forum are:a.To be proactive and constructive

b.To mobilize public opinion, and

c.To speak in one voice on major issues, where there is lack of transparency or neglect of environmental considerations in decision making.

Hyderabad, also known as the City of Pearls and nowadays capital of the State of Andhra Pradesh in South India, was founded in 1591, when Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah abandoned his old headquarters at Golconda because of water scarcity and built a new city along the banks of the Musi River.It is situated on the Deccan Plateau whose rocky and hilly region here rises to an average of 544 meters. The climate is characterised by a hot and dry summer from February to June with temperatures regularly rising above 40C. The average annual rainfall is 790 mm of which the majority is received during monsoon season from June to September.

Market Place in HyderabadToday Hyderabad is Indias sixth largest city and a fast-growing metropolis with an estimated population of 7 million, compared to 4.3 million in 1991. It is expected that the Hyderabad Urban Agglomeration, which comprises the Core City Area and the quickly urbanizing surrounding municipalities, will reach a population of 13.6 million by 2021. The growth was pushed by economic reforms that promoted foreign and national investments in order to transform Hyderabad from traditional manufacturing towards a knowledge-based economy. Today more than 500 IT companies have their presence in Hyderabad. Between 2004 and 2008 the economy grew at an average rate of 8.73%. This has led to an inflow of migration adding to the high natural population growth in the city.As all megacities in India, Hyderabad faces severe environmental challenges like air pollution, generation of ever increasing amounts of solid waste as well as the overexploitation and pollution of water resources.Home> Issues we face in our cityhttp://www.hmda.gov.in/ebgh/home/issueswefaceinourcity.html

Hyderabad, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh,is rapidly growing like many other cities in India. High economic growth is evident especially in the sectors of Information Technology, biotechnology and entertainment .Growth has been most evident in the way the citys built environment has changed over the last 10 years. To understand the scale of growth, here are a few things the city has witnessed in the past few years.....Annual Growth rate of number of electricity consumers is 7%, and total Connected Load is 8%Hyderabad Growth Trend

There has been an increase of 88.7% in built up area permissions give by MCH from 2006 to 2007

And the future projections.....1. Residential area to increase by 133% in next 15 years2. Commercial area to increase 21 times3. Conservation/ agriculture area to decrease by 60% consequently

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(As per 2020 HUDA Masterplan)While this economic growth is fantastic news, issues such as power shortages, water scarcity, loss of green cover, increasing pollution, water logging during monsoons, loss of heritage buildings, loss of the unique rock formations etc compel us to step back and ask a very important questionIs the growth of the built environment in Hyderabad environmentally sustainable in its present form?In order to answer this question, we need to understand the followingWhat is Sustainable Development? What does sustainable development mean? What are the indicators of environmental sustainability, understand the present state of these indicators in the city, future projections and plans of the government and how each one of us are responsible for its present state

"Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".

--The World Commission on Environment and Development, Brundtland Commission 1987.

Indicators of sustainable development, the present state of these indicators in Hyderabad, future projections and plans and every persons contribution to the present state.The tremendous growth of the city has put immense pressure on Energy supply Water supply Sewage disposal Storm water drainage Ecology Flora and Fauna Local Geological Features Unique rock formations

And causing environmental concerns on waste disposal and pollution of air, water, land and noise

And hence, these are the indicators that represent the sustainable growth of the cityTOPEnergy- What are we heading towards?

As more and more energy-intensive buildings are constructed throughout Hyderabad, and the costs of fossil fuels continue to rise, pressures on current energy systems are increasing. Additionally, the rate of growth in energy consumption is currently outstripping the ability of any municipality to construct new energy generation facilities, whether traditional plants or large scale renewable energy facilities.The majority of Hyderabads urban energy consumption is used by the building sector (45% of the total), out of which domestic sector uses the maximum (25%), followed by commercial (8%) and industrial sectors (8%). While the commercial sector uses less energy on the whole than domestic sector, the commercial sector almost 3 times more energy intensive.Modern day building design can be blamed for the increasing energy intensity of buildings.WhileTraditional/vernacular designin Hyderabad focused on Natural cooling and ventilation Solar shading Daylighting

Modern architecturein Hyderabad is being guided by western design not suited to the existing climatic conditions with design features such as: Glazed facades without external shading Exposed south and west facades without external shading features Placing of verandahs does not depend on wind directions Deep plan floor plates without cross ventilation Low height ceilings without ventilators No courtyards to provide cool air sinks Light weight building fabric Evaporative cooling features not included

This has resulted in a whole set of MODERN BUILDINGS that ARE ENERGY GUZZLERSWhen compared to other countries, India is one of the few countries that have no regulations to mandate energy efficiency in buildings. Almost all countries in Europe, Singapore, Australia, etc have mandatory building regulations which are part of their building by laws for achieving a certain level of energy efficiency in buildings.While Japan has voluntary energy rating systems, these are very well promoted and are widely used by local authorities in their building codes with high stake-holder buy-inIn Perspective All countries have mandatory minimum standards on performance of fabric, glazing and infiltration India and Japan have voluntary energy rating systems. Very well promoted in Japan unlike in India through Widely used by local authorities in their building codes Well-incentivised through securitised loans and well publicised High stake-holder buy-in of the initiative

How is Energy Efficiency Calculated?What are Energy Figures Compared To?

IndiaVoluntary Calculation Procedure or Energy SimulationBenchmark

AustraliaEnergy SimulationsBenchmark, Proposed And National Building Comparison

JapanVoluntary Calculation ProcedureBenchmark

SingaporeCalculation Procedure, Energy Simulations for Voluntary Rating onlyBenchmark

AustriaCalculation ProcedureBenchmark

GermanyCalculation ProcedureBenchmark

NetherlandsCalculation ProcedureBenchmark

SpainCalculation ProcedureBenchmark

SwedenPrescriptive And Calculation Procedure (fabric only)Benchmark

United KingdomCalculation Procedure, Energy SimulationProposed and National Building Comparison

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Implementation of voluntary national and state-level energy policies and codes is very limited in Hyderabad, and very few builders are incorporating energy efficient technologies in their new construction, despite recognition of potential for energy and cost savings. There are significant barriers for using traditional materials, traditional designs, or materials with lower embodied energy, including fly-ash. In spite of incentives on renewable energy and its obvious cost benefits in India, its contribution to the total energy demand is minimal in India at 2%

For sustainable development of the city; to ensure adequate power throughout the year without the need for regular power cuts and; with a potential to maintain comfort conditions for nearly 80% of the time using passive solar features or low energy systems, energy efficiency of building in Hyderabad has to be improved immensely. Especially, reducing the energy intensity of commercial buildings will be very important, particularly as commercial area within Hyderabad continues to increase.

Water- Where are we getting it from?

Until a few years ago, Hyderabad was endowed with a number of natural and artificial lakes and could meet its water demand locally from Osmansagar, Himayatsagar, River Singur and River Manjira.Over the past few years, increasing urban growth and changing urban lifestyles has put enormous pressure on the water supply requirement. At present,TOP nearly 50% of the water is sourced from River Krishna that is 25okm away there is a deficit of nearly 10% of the total demand The projected deficit is projected to increase to 15% by 2011 and 32.5% by 2021 Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) is planning to source water from as far as River Godavari to meet the future demand

Present and future demand requirements are based on these assumptions There will be a constant per capita water demand of 165li/person/day (as required by NBC). In reality, changing urban lifestyles have resulted in increased water consumption that is far greater than 165li/person/day. With consumption patterns getting closer to those in western countries where it could go as high as 340li/person/day, demand and deficit figures are bound to be much greater than those projected. Calculations assume that water availability remains constant. If the size of water bodies continues to decrease and the pollution in waterways increases without proper sewage treatment or waste management, availability will decrease Network coverage of 90% in the old MCH area and only 65% in surrounding areas ULBs.

Why are we not able to meet demand locally in spite of a large number of lakes and good rainfall?Apart from the obvious fact of increasing population, the reasons are many The existing sources of water are diminishing because of inconsiderate development in catchment areas and ineffective catchment management Groundwater levels are receding due to increased withdrawals and reduced groundwater recharge due to huge areas of impervious urban sprawl Contamination of surface and sub-surface water is rampant due to poor sewage network, poor solid waste management. This has led to high incidences of water-borne diseases There is huge wastage of water in the form of leakages in public buildings, public water supply points. Poor social awareness among the residents is observed regarding conservation and preservation of lakes and tanks. Very few building and landscaping practices address water conservation Groundwater recharge is practiced, often unsuccessfully and rainwater collection is not practiced at all Recycled water reuse is only 3% of total water treated. Fresh water withdrawal is very high at 51% compared to countries such as UK or Australia where withdrawals as low as 5%, which shows minimal water recycling and reuse

TOPApart from this, other issues relating to water supply that are being tackled by HMWSSB include Partial network coverage Leakages in supply and unauthorised tapping of as much as 40% of the water supplied Intermittent piped water supply

Sewage- How much is collected and treated?

Sewerage is the system of sewers that conveys wastewater to a treatment plant or disposal point.

It includes all the pumps, rising mains, gravity mains, air release valves, screens, over flows and associated infrastructure. Efficient sewerage is often an indicator of good health of an urban centre.What happens to the Sewage that is discharged from our buildings?

Indian cities, in general, suffer from an improper and inefficient sewerage system with an average network access of only 58% and Hyderabad is no exception to this with a network access of 70% on MCH area and only 20% in surrounding municipalities. This is a highly unsanitary situation given that most developed countries have a 100% sewage network and where it is not possible to provide network access, strict norm and regulations dictate sewage discharge.Comparatively, in Hyderabad, where there is no network access, sewage is either discharged

A. into septic tanks which is a sensible option if they are constructed properly as per NBC normsorB. openly and indiscriminately without any treatment into nearby lakes or storm water drains by residents, industries and commercial establishments alike.

What happens to the sewage that is collected by the public drains?

At present, only 23% of the collected sewage is treated of which only 3% is recycled and reused.

The rest of the wastewater, including all of that which exceeds the capacity of lakeside sewage treatment plants (STPs), is transported long distances to the Musi River, where it is discharged unsanitarily.Wastewater Generation and treatment capacity deficit - present and projectedProjected wastewater generation and treatment capacity deficit in HUA served by HMWSSBYearEstimated sewage generation*(MLD) Treatment capacity (MLD)Deficit (MLD)

20061053133920

201111621331029

201613081331175

202114531331320

Capacity of treatment plants under construction (2008): 591 MLDCapacity of Proposed STPs : 865 MLDTOP*Calculations have been done assuming that 80% of the water supply is coming out as wastewater and the total estimated water demand is being met by the authoritiesIn all the developed countries, all the collected sewage is treated, recycled and reused in order to provide for the high levels of water supply requirements. In the city of London, it is a widely known fact that your drinking water supplied by the municipality has been recycled 8 times. The water that is finally discharged into the River Thames also meets strict environmental norms.Given this situation, these are main issues we face that make our sewage system highly unsustainable.1. The sewerage network coverage is low and the treatment facilities are highly inadequate. For this reason, most of the untreated sewage finds its way into water bodies resulting in poor water quality, high pollution,lossof habitat and environmental degradation.2. River Musi, the main source of water, gets untreated sewage resulting in poor water quality standards and high pollution of the river.3. Hussain Sagar Lake that was used to supply water for the city until 1930 and other lakes are getting indiscriminate quantity of untreated domestic sewage leading to high pollution levels4. Existing sewers are often choked or blocked with high siltation or garbage due to various reasons, including the deposition of grit, improper waste disposal, and grease solidification from hot liquid waste from kitchens and restaurants

While HMWSSB is planning to provide 100% network coverage and sewage treatment by 2021, it might be too late to remedy the environmental damage to the city unless appropriate measures are taken up right now.Storm water- Why does water log on the roads?

Storm water is water that originates during rains. Storm water drainage system is designed to drain excess rain and ground water from paved streets, parking lots, sidewalks, and roofs. Storm water that does not soak into the ground becomes surface runoff, which either flows into surface waterways or is channelled into storm sewers. Storm water is an important indicator of sustainability because its proper management ensures fresh water availability locally, lesser pollution of water bodies and erosion control.Earlier, the city was planned to follow a natural drainage pattern and interconnected lakes were built to collect the water for ground water recharge and citys water requirements, with the overflow reaching River Musi or Hussain Sagar. However, the modern development of Hyderabad, like many cities, ignored this ancient practice and as a result, faces many avoidable problems.The main concerns with storm water in the city are1. Increased impervious areas in the city have led to increased run off and reduced groundwater recharge.2. Infrastructure development has been irrespective of the natural drainage pattern3. Land use planning and permissions have not been in tune with natural drainage patterns4. Illegal encroachment of lakes has become rampant5. In most countries, storm water drains are combined with sewage drains, and the total dirty water is treated before it flows into lakes or rivers. In India, these two lines are separated in principal but both drains are used for both purposes.6. The existing drainage system that covers only 30% of the city is designed for a rainfall of 12 mm/hr whereas average intensity is 23 and peak is 52 mm/hr.7. In addition to an already inadequate system, residents, commercial establishments and institutions use storm water drains not just for sewage disposal but also to dispose solid waste. In fact, 25 to 30% of the sewage is drained into storm water drains8. Also, regular maintenance of the storm water drains that involves de-silting and de-clogging is not effectively undertaken

Consequently, this has resulted in1. Immense reduction in ground water recharge2. Disappearance of lakes and nalas which were part of an existing sustainable storm water management system for the city3. Clogging of drains due to the solid waste4. Untreated storm water and sewage drained into River Musi, Hussainsager and similar lakes has led to very high pollution levels of not just these water bodies but also ground water leading to dangerous health hazards

So, the issues we face are known to all of us very well1. Water logging on roads and flash floods in low lying areas have become part of life2. Water scarcity3. Reduced ground water levels4. Pollution of lakes, rivers and ground water5. Health hazards due to overflowing drains

There is a lack of an integrated storm water drainage plan at city level presently. If the current practices in storm water management persist, there shall be an irreversible damage to the various natural water bodies and other environmental hazards, besides degrading the quality of life of the residents. Frequent flooding in the low lying areas shall further aggravate bringing in valuable loss of working-man hours and economic losses especially to the poor who often live in slums and squatters.Waste- Where does it end up?In Hyderabad, GHMC and surrounding municipalities collect and dispose solid waste.While these authorities collect as much as 91% in the old MCH area and 95% in the surrounding municipalities, no segregation is undertaken by them. Most of the segregations is undertaken by the informal sector, in a system of ragpickers collecting household waste and separating recyclables to be sold if possible. Ragpickers are also seen collecting recyclable waste from community bins.

This method is of significant concern as1. the rag pickers work in extremely unhygienic conditions with minimal protection.2. with no segregation undertaken at the household level, a lot of the recyclable waste gets contaminated reducing its market value.3. Because the informal sector would recycle waste that only has high market value, wet waste and products with very little market value as recyclables are rarely treated or formally disposed.4. Consequently, only 14% of the 25% of recyclable waste is recycled5. Wet or organic waste that constitutes nearly 40% of the total is not treated at all and ends up in the landfill.6. Most waste collection and waste segregation that does occur happens on a household level and does not occur in commercial establishments that generate nearly 15% of the waste in the city7. Biomedical waste is mixed up with municipal solid waste contaminating the whole quantity. This not only increases the hazards faced by the rag pickers but also increases the risk of disease8. Construction waste is disposed indiscriminately on the roads. This not only reduces the possibility to recycle this waste but also contributes to land, water and air pollution.

TOPIssuesMCHSurrounding ULB'sStandards

Waste DisposalSource segregation not followedAs per Municipal waste (Management and Handling)Rules, 1999

Open dumpsOpen dumps

Construction WasteMost of it recycled/usedMost of it recycled/used

Informal DisposalInformal disposal

Best practicesExemplary Resident Welfare AssociationsNone

Waste processing is minimal in the city with a capacity to process only 19% of the waste generated in the old MCH area. This gap is bound to increase with increasing population of the cityTOP1. A vermi-composting plant on a small scale utilizing 7 tons of wetwaste per day is under operation with the involvement of Resident Welfare Associations. While this is almost negligible as a percentage of total waste, it is a best practice that could be emulated in other parts of the city2. A 6.6 MW MSW-based power project was commissioned in Hyderabad by SELCO International. It is currently processing only 400 tons per day of waste (GHMC-CMDA report), though its full capacity is 700 tons. Additionally, villagers near the installation are complaining of pollution and unbearable.

Waste disposal is of a greater concern as1. Landfills are not properly designed and constructed. As they are open, animals have free access to the landfills leading to many diseases. No protective lining that stops leachate from seeping into the groundwater table is provided for the landfills that leads to pollution2. While some energy-generating waste incineration is occurring in few areas, solid waste is often incinerated informally, with few environmental controls for chemical pollution and particulates. Open landfills result in the entry of solid waste into waterways not only pollutions our rivers but also blocks proper storm water drainage.

GHMCare in the process of entering into a public private partnership for effective management of the collected waste and landfill sites. However, collection will still be undertaken by the authorities that might not result in any changes relating improvements in the cleanliness of streets, illegal landfills and pollution.The situation is bound to change for the better only when 100% door to door collection is undertaken with dry waste being segregated at household/ building level similar to most developed countries around the world. Until then, even with the privatisation of waste treatment and disposal services but without an integrated solid waste management approach that involves collection as well, we would still face issues such as1. The existing gap between waste generation and door to door collection will remain large and will increase tremendously if the current situation continues.2. Overflowing community bins with waste segregation undertaken by informal sector3. No improvement in the working conditions of rag pickers who will continue to work in unhygienic and dangerous conditions4. Animals scavenging community bins resulting in waste being littered over a wide area5. The percentage of waste that is recycled will not improve.6. Illegal dumping of waste at open lands will continue as door to door collection will continue to be undertaken by informal sector.7. There is no systematic disposal of construction waste, and most of the construction rubble ends up on the plots of private land owners, producing polluting runoff and disturbing the ecology of the surroundings.8. Door to door collection of waste from shops, commercial establishments, restaurants and hotels that produce nearly 15 percent of waste will not be undertaken. This waste will end up in community bins, storm water nalas, and illegal landfills.9. No improvement in segregation, treatment and disposal of biomedical waste and construction waste

TOPPollution- Who are the main contributors?

Construction and building usage has been a major contributor to environmental pollution in the city. Buildings cause pollution both during construction and usage; both stages are responsible for air, noise, land and water pollution. Additionally, as the average buildings utilize energy excessively, they are thus responsible for the carbon emissions associated with this power production.Land Pollution

Land and soil pollution is caused during construction in many ways.1. Fertile soil is exposed and often eroded during the construction process - Few builders in Hyderabad remove the topsoil and focus on topsoil protection2. Chemicals released during construction (whether accidental spills or disposal by dumping) pollute both soil and groundwater. These are usually hazardous and include fine metal particles and wires, glass, plastic polythene sheets, asbestos products (insulation, tiles), centering oil, formwork oil, tar and tar products (bitumen, felt, water proofing compounds), chemical additives, sealants, adhesives, solvents, and batteries. Usually, there are no distinguished plans for hazardous construction waste management practiced on site.3. Inert solid waste includes sand, gravel, concrete, stone, bricks, and wood. While most of the inert waste from construction and demolition activities is reused on site, a lot of it ends up in landfills sites or silt storm water drains, lakes and rivers creating a lot of environmental problems

TOPWater Pollution

Water pollution occurs due to many reasons during construction and operation of buildings. Construction wastewater and runoff water from paved surfaces, often containing cement and sand particles, paints, arnishes and oils, or cleaning agents, seeps into the ground and contaminates ground water. Storm water runoff and runoff from construction sites can carry chemicals, cement particles, or fertile soil into sewers or nearby rivers or lakes. While the chemical pollution is particularly detrimental, the increased siltation is also a form of water pollution and nutrient loss from the soils. As such no sedimentation control practices or practices that help reduce pollution of storm water runoff are practiced in the city

Air and Noise Pollution

The sources of noise and air pollution due to transportation, building maintenance and construction activities occurs mainly due to1. Use of heavy machineries and vehicles during construction and demolition2. Operation of off-grid diesel generators for power3. Loading and unloading operations, particularly for cement, sand and aggregate4. Concrete and plaster preparation

TOPPrecautions of shielding the site during construction activities are undertaken in very few building sites. Noise pollution is high in many areas as no measures are being taken to stop the noise pollution due to construction activity.

Consequently, the pollution levels in Hyderabad are well above national and international water and air quality standards. In particular, noise pollution and particulate matter levels are very high. Ailments caused by air pollution are affecting the residents. There are no measures for management of construction waste, which also includes hazardous waste. Since the new economic growth centres will come up in the periphery of HDA in conservation zones, it will be critical to reduce pollution in these areas.Ecology and Geology - Have you spotted a sparrow recently in the city? And where are rocks disappearing?Hyderabad, once known as a city of gardens, is now left with only nine major and about 240 minor parks spread over various localities. The per capita recreational space available in MCH area works out to 0.50 square meters against the national standard of 3.00 square meters. The adjoining 10 Municipalities and other peripheral areas have no such parksA number of open spaces and community parks are being encroached upon and used for other building purposes.The 932 tanks in 1973 in and around Hyderabad came down to 834 in 1996. Consequently the area under water bodies reduced from 118 to 110 sq.km. About 18 water bodies of over 10-hectare size and 80 tanks of below 10-hectare size were lost during that period in the HUDA area. Area under water bodies come down from 2.51 percent of the geographical area in 1964 to 2.40 percent in 1974 and to 1.57 percent in 1990. The decline during 1974-90s period has been sharp.

With conservation / agriculture area due to reduce by 60% over the next 10 years, open spaces, green belts, water bodies and geological formations in Hyderabad are facing a threat of being encroached upon to cater to the built space demand owing to urbanisation.

Water bodies are being encroached upon despite the NBC regulations and Hyderabad Revised Building Rules of 2006 which ban any development in close proximity to any water body. The regulations mandating the creation of recreational or buffer zones of all construction projects in the vicinity of water bodies are often overridden.

In order to maintain the citys identity, we need to seek solutions to conserve our unique ecology and geological creations while allowing for growth.From what we can see, we can clearly see that the development is far from being sustainable. While the government is keen on moving in the right direction in this matter, there are other players who can also make a substantial difference. Hence, let us now look at

Who can make a DIFFERENCE to this situation?Now let us see, what is the SOLUTION TO THIS SITUATIONWhat the SOLUTION is in the building sector?Let us Understand, what can you do to improve this situationHow we could all CONTRIBUTE, both as individuals and through our built environment?This website aims to answer all these questions and help in converting words into actions by providing detailed practical information.Firstly, lets talk aboutwho can make a DIFFERENCEto the situation

What is the solution

TOPWho can make a differenceThe urban building sector that constitutes nearly 20% of the total HUDA area, which is projected to increase to 40.5% in the next 10 years, holds a lot of potential to conserve and reduce the pressure on depleting resources like energy and water besides improving environmental quality in Hyderabad.The development and maintenance of the building sector is influenced by everyone Individuals Building Managers such as house owners, maintenance personnel of commercial establishments, institutions, offices etc Building professionals such as Architects, Engineers, Designers and Planners, Builders, Academicians Municipal Authorities, HMDA, GHMC, surrounding ULBs and Utility agencies National level Authorities such as MoUD, MNRE, MoEF, NIUA

What can you do?

As An Individual Through The Built Environment

As an Individual

As an individual, you can effectively contribute towards achieving a sustainable environment in places where you live and work by adopting few attitudinal and behavioral changes in your habits as listed below. Switch off your electrical appliances like lights/fans/ACs etc when not required to save on your energy costs Use of renewable energy systems like solar PV, biomass, wind, fuel cells etc for external lighting fixtures Use of BEE labeled appliances (florescent tube lights, CFLs, transformers, motors, refrigerators, air-conditioners) to increase energy savings Installation of solar water heating systems to meet hot water requirements like bathing, kitchen use etc Use of mug while brushing your teeth or shaving rather than keeping the tap open will help in conserving water Wash your car less frequently and use a car wash typically the water is recycled. If you wash your car at home, always wash it on the lawn not the driveway or path, so chemicals do not go in the storm water drain and harm the environment A bath using shower can consume about 50 litres of water. A short shower or a bucket would require less than 30 litres of water If you use a dishwasher, ensure that it is full when you run it and use economy cycle if possible. Look for water efficient appliances Segregate waste into dry and wet waste at the source of generation and collect them in separate bins Recyclable materials from waste like paper, plastic, metal & glass can be remunerative and also help in reducing the burden on waste management by 20% Existing trees not to be felled unless prior permission from local authorities. Where cannot be protected have to be transplanted. Where both not possible, replanting with native/ non-invasive species in proportion of 3 new tree saplings for every mature tree felled.

Through The Built EnvironmentGreen building is a practice of increasing the efficiency through which buildings use resources, viz.,energy,waterandmaterials, while reducing building impacts on human health andthe environmentduring the building's lifecycle, through planneddesign,construction, operation, maintenance, resource recycle and reuse.

They showcase concern for extending life span of natural resources; provide human comfort, safety and productivity; results in reduction of O&M costs, conservation of energy & water, health, social benefits and other intangible benefits.

Through buildings and neighbourhoods, one can achieve efficiencies in different sectors, which can be broadly divided into three categories. Energy Efficiency Features Water Conservation Measures Improving Quality of Built Environment

Home> HMDA's initiative

Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA)has taken this initiative to draw a vision for a sustainable Hyderabad. The existing system of guidelines and building regulations were prepared with a piecemeal approach and a strong need was felt to improve the building guidelines in an integrated manner, in pace with the best international practices.The broad vision behind this initiative is to develop guidelines and regulations for environmental sustainable building design, construction and operation; to promote and integrate sustainable practices and facilitate in providing an affordable and higher quality environment for the residents.Project Structure

Objectives

This initiative is apt in the direction of achieving sustainable development of Hyderabad and elevates the city as a leader in sustainability in India. Its objectives are to Assess present and future environmental issues in the building industry with a focus on urban development in the city Provide an affordable and higher quality environment for its habitants Promote and integrate sustainable building practices as it benefits both current and future generations Formulate guidelines and regulations in building design, construction and operation for a balanced and sustainable built environment Facilitate integration of the community in sustainable development of Hyderabad Educate people in removing the false notion that environmental building design equates to higher building costs Create awareness among public utility agencies, building professionals and users to introduce sustainable planning and design features in their buildings and site planning

Scope

The project broadly comprises of six phases. Phase 1 Research and Information Analysis to assess current environmental status and resource utilization in Hyderabad and also a review of national and international best practices for their adaptability in Hyderabad Phase 2 Establishing Environmental Building Guidelines, Regulations and procedures that can be easily understood and brought into practice by the municipal authorities (HMDA, GHMC, HMWSSB, APCPDCL, APPCB, etc), building professionals (architects, planners, engineers, builders, etc), other professionals (NGOs, CBOs, resident groups, RWAs, academicians, etc) and end users. Phase 3 Economic Appraisal Models developed in comparison to various environmental design alternatives and products in terms of savings and pay back periods to assess economic feasibility of the recommended environmental guidelines for their suitability in building industry. Market surveys to understand current economic trends and establish various parameters required for selected models. Phase 4 Implementation Methodologies and Innovative Incentives specific to each sector outlined to enable respective agencies dealing with the implementation of regulations for buildings. Target group specific customized awareness and training programs are also outlined to facilitate in effective implementation of guidelines. Phase 5 Education Material and Leaflets developed outlining specific simple environmental building design, construction and operation concepts for general public in three languages viz., Telugu, English and Hindi. A website is developed to facilitate in information dissemination on the developed guidelines and other related aspects. Phase 6 Trainings for HMDA, GHMC, utility agencies officials and other building professionals on technical guidance on the guidelines, compliances and strategies for their effective enforcement

Home>HMDA's initiative> Development Process

The sequence of tasks and activities during formulation of the Environmental Building Guidelines and Regulations (EBGHs) for Hyderabad are listed below As part of Phase 1, sector specific framework for EBGHs, based on national and international best practices that could be adapted for Hyderabad were outlined and feedback taken from HMDA Project Review Committee (11th March 2008). The guidelines are classified under three broad sectors and sub-sectors within Energy & Indoor Comfort Energy, Comfort (18 Guidelines) Water & Wastewater Water, Sewage, Storm Water (12 Guidelines) Quality of Built Environment Solid Waste, Pollution, Ecology & Geology, Building Materials (11 Guidelines) The feedback enabled in outlining a framework for guidelines within each sector. The findings of Phase 1, framework of EBGHs and an overview on the technical content of the guidelines were discussed in the 1st Stakeholders Workshop (28th June 2008) The suggestions helped in developing the guidelines, economic appraisals, implementation strategies and incentives and feedback taken from HMDA Project Review Committee (22nd October 2008) Further, these guidelines were discussed separately with key line departments viz., GHMC, HMWSSB, APCPDCL & APPCB for a pragmatic feedback (November 2008) HMDA constituted Expert Panel of Professionals on Energy & Indoor Comfort, Water & Wastewater and Quality of Built Environment for the technical review and feedback on the formulated guidelines in the Expert Consultation Workshop (10th December 2008) Further, the guidelines, implementation strategies and incentives were discussed in the 2nd Stakeholder Workshop (12th December 2008) The workshops recommendations enabled consultants in refining the guidelines, economic models & implementation strategies and Draft set of Guidelines, Implementation Methodologies Reports submitted to HMDA (3rd February 2009), which is forwarded to GoAP for approval. A one-page summary of all the 41 Guidelines is also prepared and the draft Educational Booklet is submitted to HMDA (30th April 2009) As part of the awareness generation and capacity building of various stakeholders 1st set of training programs were conducted for architects, engineers, planners, academicians and other buildings professionals (30th April to 02nd May 2009) 2nd set of trainings are scheduled for the officials of HMDA, GHMC and other utility agencies 30th july to 1st Aigist 2009) The draft Website on the Environmental Building Guidelines for Hyderabad is also launched during the 2nd set of traning programme by the HMDA`s Metropolitan Commissioner, Dr, KS Jawahar. The feedback on Reports, educational leaflets from HMDA/GoAP, trainings and website from various stakeholders evolve in Final Set of Guidelines, Educational Booklets and Website and same submitted to HMDA for adoption. HMDA/GoAP reserves all rights to finalize and delineate the guidelines into mandatory and voluntary implementation requirements. It is then the responsibility of the respective implementing agencies to ensure effective enforcement of mandatory guidelines and incentivize voluntary guidelines respectively

Home>HMDA's initiative> The Consultants

TERIwas formally established in 1974 with the purpose of tackling and dealing with the immense and acute problems that mankind is likely to face within in the years aheadThe Institutes growth has been evolutionary, driven by a vision of the future and rooted in challenges looming today, based on an approach that looks beyond the present and across the globe. TERI has, therefore, grown to establish a presence not only in different corners and regions of India but is perhaps the only developing country institution to have established a presence in North America and Europe and on the Asian continent in Japan, Malaysia and the Gulf.

TERI now has staff strength of over 700 dedicated employees, drawn from a range of disciplines and experience, supported by infrastructure and facilities, which are world class and distinctively state-of-the-art.

In this world of increasing globalization and buoyed by optimism generated by the success of the Indian economy TERI moves forward to meet the challenges of the future through the pursuit of excellence embedded in its visionary charter.

Terra Viridiswas formed in 2006, to aid architects, planners and policy makers in creating environmentally sensitive built environments. Their main partners have substantial experience on projects across the globe, especially in Europe, UK, USA, India and Middle East.

Terra Viridis services are primarily in the areas of Environmental building design consultancy, Environmental Policy Research, Capacity Building, Training and Awareness Generation.

Terra Viridis acts as a consultant to urban local bodies providing environmental policy research services. In this regard, they have developed the Environmental building Initiative for the city of Hyderabad for HMDA in partnership with TERI.

Terra Viridis collaborates with some of the largest and most prestigious architectural firms in the country. They provide environmental design services that include thermal modeling, daylight simulation modeling and computer fluid dynamics to ensure energy efficiency in buildings. In this regard, their projects range in scope from individual residences straight through to office buildings for multinational corporations.

The company conducts trainings on green building practices for building professionals. They have been conducting training programs along with TERI in Hyderabad for the past 2 years. They are also part of ADARSHs (GRIHA Secretariat) team providing training on the GRIHA Rating system.

http://www.hyderabadgreens.org/