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THEME PAPER
GREENING BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION
SECTOR FOR A VIKSIT BHARAT
SHABNAM BASSI India, a land of ancient brilliance, India has been a land of
aims to become a developed nation, ingenuity and intelligence
“Viksit Bharat,” by its 100 year since times immemorial.
th
of independence. Achieving a While there have been
goal of this magnitude would numerous significant
require a significant investment inventions, a few aspects that
in infrastructure development, make India’s contribution
which at present is to the tune monumental, are the invention
of 3.3 percent of GDP. However, of Zero in Mathematics,
the major obstacle in the journey Ayurvedic Medicine and
is the high carbon footprint of Yoga in well-being.
the building and construction
sector. Transitioning to green Architecturally, one of the
buildings is imperative to pave most advanced ancient
the path to sustainability by civilisations in the recorded
2047. Even though adoption of history, is the Indus Valley
green buildings is accompanied Civilisation which originated
in the Indian sub-continent
by several challenges such and flourished in, what is
as perceived costs, demand now the north-west India and
supply and design gaps, lack present-day Pakistan. The
of knowledge etc., it can be civilisation known today for its
made possible by the adoption advanced urban planning and
of strategic roadmap which infrastructure, underground
insists on strict implementation drainage system, wide
of regulatory frameworks, streets, citadels, mud bricks
incentive mechanisms, and gypsum mortar, grid
cross-sectoral partnerships, pattern planning and great
integrated planning, community bath (Who were the Indus
engagement and adoption of people? KS2, Bite size, BBC),
green building certification still stands as one of the most
systems. Greening the building ‘sophisticated’ civilisations of
and construction sector is not a all times (Watson T, April 30
choice, but a necessity that can 2013, Surprising Discoveries
be made possible by blending
Deputy Chief Executive Officer, India’s ancient wisdom with From the Indus Civilisation,
and Secretary, GRIHA Council modern technologies to build a National Geographic).
secretary@grihaindia.org sustainable future. Nalanda University serves
April, 2025, Volume 26. No.1 - SHELTER 3
