By Manu Sharma
Environment conservation is a continuous process and must be carried out by every citizen. For developers the responsibility is doubled since development poses challenges.
'Globally, we are in the midst of an environmental crisis. With the ill effects of global warming affecting all parts of our lives, I believe we as developers should come up with innovative ideas to make our projects as environmentally friendly as we can,' advocates Kishan Govindaraju, Director, Vaishnavi Group, a leading builder based in Bengaluru.
On the occasion of World Environment Day, Manu Sharma of Silicon Village caught up with Kishan, who talks about how trees can be preserved & transplanted in developments, what type of technology can be used for doing that and how water conservation is crucial. Excerpts:
Manu Sharma: As a developer, how much importance do you attach to trees ?
Kishan Govindaraju: Trees are a great asset to everyone. Not only do they add value to the landscaping but they also have great health benefits such as purifying the air and also providing shade where necessary. We handle trees in our projects with care and aim to conserve or transplant many of the trees in our projects.
MS: You have reportedly saved a number of trees while developing properties. How did you manage that and what are the number of trees you claimed to have saved ?
KG: In one of our projects, Vaishnavi Rhapsody, we have used LIDAR technology which can exactly pinpoint the spread of the trees and build the structure around it and not damage the trees. We made sure most of the trees on this site were retained.
MS: Have you undertaken transplantation of trees ?
KG: Yes we have undertaken the transplantation of trees. In our project Vaishnavi Gardenia, we undertook the transplantation of 80 trees. We had moved trees which were clashing with the roads or building structure and moved them to the landscaping area of the project.
KG: We believe environmental laws are of paramount importance in today’s day and age. All our projects are compliant with the relevant environmental governing acts.
MS: How do you ensure that you projects are environment friendly ?
KG: I believe that there have been major advancements in construction technology which helps to keep our carbon footprint low, and not damage the environment in and around the project. We mostly use precast construction technology for our project which reduces the need for water at site by almost 35%. It is very precise in terms of the material required during the production process and hence the material wastage is greatly reduced. The sites are very clean and noise and air pollution also drastically reduces.
MS: How according to you can developers work hand in hand with nature and carry on developmental work while parallel preserving the environment ?
KG: I strongly advocate for the use of technology at the start of the development so the preservation can begin at an early stage. Also water conservation methods such as proper drainage systems, creating rainwater harvesting systems, reusing the water within the project for landscape with efficient STPs (Sewage Treatment Plant), having percolation pits throughout the project will help make the development more environmentally friendly.
Most of our projects are either IGBC Platinum or Gold certified and we have to keep that going for all future projects. I strongly believe that we should take environmental concerns very seriously and do whatever we can be it as a company or an individual to preserve the world we live in.
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