Green bldgs won’t need environment clearance: Chavan

In a bid to encourage environment-friendly structures, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has agreed to exempt buildings with green certification from seeking a separate environment clearance. Ketaki Ghoge reports.

In a bid to encourage environment-friendly structures, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has agreed to exempt buildings with green certification from seeking a separate environment clearance.

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But critics said green certification would fail to provide the checks that are in place in the current system.

“There were complaints about the delay in getting environmental clearances. It was decided that structures that adopt a green building code need not get separate environmental clearance,” said Chief Minister Prithiviraj Chavan after meeting with Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh.

Chavan said buildings with green certification from The Energy and Resource Institute’s GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) rating system or LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) would not need separate clearances as mandated by the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006.

Under the notification, mega projects — over 20,000 sq mt in area — have to first get the go-ahead from the State Expert Appraisal Committee. Then, the projects must be okayed by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority.

Many developers said the state panels raise objections based on town planning norms rather than environmental ones.

“Every developer will take a green building registration. Actual certification happens only when the building is occupied. If the developer has not complied by then, the government will not be able to do much,” said a leading developer on condition of anonymity.

However, environment officials said the MoEF would amend the EIA notification to introduce more safeguards. “We will ensure that the certification is checked by a state panel,” said a senior official.