HOW [UN]-ECO FRIENDLY IS YOUR NEW HOME?

Ahmedabad is steadily progressing towards high quality infrastructure. The city is witnessing the growth of promising new buildings and townships.

…But at the cost of what?!

Agreed, that real estate development contributes immensely to the growth and development of the nation, and provides employment to skilled, semi-skilled as well as unskilled workers, but in the long run there is much more than meets the eye.

The Earth is in our hands.  Insist on keeping it GREEN. 

Can we turn a blind eye to the environmental degradation that is likely to be caused on account of development?

Can real estate development and environmental sustainability be combined in so called ‘green projects’?

The answer is yes!

Ahmedabad has two “eco-friendly” projects to boast of! Adani’s Shantigram – Gujarat’s largest township and Godrej Garden City, which are both eco friendly!

When a non- eco friendly project is conceived and brought into existence, the most noticeable damage caused to our environment is Ecosystem Destruction.

A relevant example would be the project near the Aravali Mountain Ranges where hundreds of acres of forest land was encroached and fragmented into private plots. Investors sunk in a fortune hoping of cashing in on the real estate boom.

Another issue is the overexploitation of ground water reserves by real estate developers, leading to the falling of the water table to dangerously low levels.

Gurgaon and Delhi are already pained by a serious water crisis which led to residents knocking the doors of the courts and finally, the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has been restrained from issuing further licenses to real estate developers who consume ground water.

But, by stopping construction, are we addressing the problem, or are we creating other new problems?

In another example, an expert team was appointed by the Kerala State Coastal Zone Management Authority (KSCZMA) in South India.

The KSCZMA found details of encroachments and CRZ violations near the Chilavannur backwater. Satellite images showed that these stretches were swampy areas before the construction of the apartments began in the region.

Closer to home, Lavasa city, encompassing around 25,000 acres of land, became controversial when it started drawing of water from the Varasgaon Dam and clearing forests for commercial purposes.

GO GREEN! 

According to the environment ministry, the project is illegal since it is not in compliance of the Environmental Impact Assessment Notifications of 1994, 2004 and 2006.

After a prolonged battle, Lavasa Corporation Limited (LCL) finally was able to get the environmental clearance for its first phase, subject to strict conditions.

However, once environmental damage has been done, it can never be undone. A forest ecosystem once lost, can never be recreated no matter what the penalty.

Keeping all this in mind, ecologically friendly homes have been in development for some time, improving more and more each year.

Not only is energy produced by solar panels and wind turbines a cost effective alternative to fossil fuels, their production and use cause little to no pollution while also preserving the earth’s natural resources.

While the financial benefits of purchasing an eco home are not always immediately evident, buying a home that is a result of our effort to save the environment from damage certainly comes with a sense of pride and responsibility!