BEL-Bangalore wins GRIHA Certification for green staff quarters

BEL has won national recognition for its innovative efforts in making green buildings as its new staff quarters — Multi-Storied 'C' Type, constructed by its Engineering Services Division within the BEL Township in Bengaluru has been awarded with the Provisional 4-Star GRIHA rating.  

GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) is a national rating system for green buildings in India. It is an evaluation tool with a set of 34 criteria to help design, build, operate and maintain a green building. GRIHA helps in minimising a building’s resource consumption and waste generation, and also negating the overall impact on the ecosystem / environment throughout its life.

The project comprising 256 quarters has won 82 out of 85 points (under 34 criteria) laid out in the rating system. It has complied with requirements such as saving trees in the neighbourhood and controlling soil erosion and soil contamination. The top soil from the site area has been preserved and utilised for gardening purposes. Grass pavers have been laid out to allow storm water to percolate and recharge the ground water.

Workers’ health and safety was also given due importance during the construction phase. The site area and construction materials were watered regularly to avoid air pollution. Water consumption was reduced by using treated water for many non-constructional activities.

Read Also : IndusInd Bank Q1 FY25 results, net profit at 2% YoY

The green buildings have been designed to receive ample natural day light and ventilation. Low-e Glasses have been used to add insulating power to windows, reduce daylight heat and in turn reduce energy consumption. Solar water heater and solar power grid have been placed on the terrace to harness solar energy and avoid surface heat transfer.

Read Also : RBI issues guidelines on higher liquidity coverage ratio for retail deposits

Cementitious construction debris has been used as sub-base for roads. All the waste generated is segregated and either reused or supplied to recycling agents. The plywood and MDF boards used are of E1 grade and paints used are of Low-VOC type. Sanitary and CP fixtures installed consume less water. Dual plumbing system has been installed for using both treated water and rain water for sanitary purposes.

The entire area has been made disabled-friendly. The building lift is Braille-compliant. Cleaning agents used are environmental-friendly. House waste is segregated by providing dust bins of different colours for each quarter. Wet waste generated is used for bio-fuel generation. Waste water generated is treated in the Centralised Water Treatment plant at BEL’s Bangalore Complex, and is used for irrigation.

Read Also : India assumes the Chair of Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre