Kolkata to get nine green buildings

As many as nine "Green Buildings" are coming up in Kolkata in the next two years. The concept, which is relatively new in India, is steadily taking off with environment conservation becoming a part of the corporate social responsibility.

Speaking on the sidelines of a seminar organied by Confederation of Real Estate Developer's Associations of India in Kolkata, S C Kumar, senior advisor, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) said, as many as 160 real estate projects across India, with nine in Kolkata, have got LEED recognition.

The first green building project was started in Hyderabad in 2003, and major changes have taken in the field since then, he said.

"India will usher a green revolution in real estate, and become a world leader in the field by 2010," he said.

The investment in a green building is 5-10 per cent more than an ordinary building, but the benefits sustain for a long term, he said.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system has been developed by the US Green Building Council. It provides standards for environmentally sustainable construction.

Since its inception in 1998, LEED has grown to encompass over 14,000 projects in 50 US states and 30 countries covering 1.062 billion square feet of development area.