HMDA mulls sops for ‘green’ buildings

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HMDA mulls sops for ‘green’ buildings

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad: To encourage ecofriendly buildings in the city, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) is contemplating various incentives to builders, including reduction in building fee, impact fee, development charges, property tax, water charges and electricity charges.
In fact, the HMDA released draft guidelines for ‘Green Buildings’ last week and sought suggestions and objections from various sections within one month. These guidelines would be sent to the state government for its approval.
Already, the Centre has been giving some rebates and reductions at the national level like tax exemptions and loans for promoting solar energy in the buildings. As per the GO 86 (New Building Rules), the state government gives property tax rebate to those who leave more setbacks, install solar heating and lighting system and use recycled water in buildings.
Builders argue that the cost of construction goes up by 10 to 15 per cent if the ‘Green Building’ guidelines are implemented. Nevertheless, buyers get a huge benefit as the maintenance cost of the building gets considerably reduced. Builders have been asking incentives by way of reduction in building fee, impact fee and development charges which help them in reducing the project cost.
“Since the involvement of various departments like GHMC for property tax incentives, Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) for giving water charge incentives and AP Transco for power charges, a meeting will be conducted to discuss the incentives in the next week,” HMDA executive engineer V Madhwaraja told TOI.
As a beginning, the HMDA is proposing implementation of ‘Green Building’ guidelines initially for first one year, as an optional and certain guidelines like water recycling and power saving measures like solar energy should be made mandatory after a year.
“The HMDA suggested that all the new government buildings should adopt ‘Green Building’ norms in the state on the lines of Centre where the Centre Public Works Department (CPWD) complies with eco-friendly methods while constructing new buildings,” a director of HMDA said.
As per the draft ‘Green Building’ guidelines, nine sectors like energy, indoor comfort, water, sewerage, storm water, solid waste, pollution, building material, ecology and geology in the aspects of design, construction and maintenance should be eco-friendly. These guidelines can be implemented in all buildings irrespective of type or size.
These rules were drafted by The Energy and Resource Institute, New Delhi, and Terra Viridis Partnership Limited (TVPL), UK. For instance, use of fly ash and its components as building materials helps in reducing usage of cement and sand. Similarly, recycling of water helps in protecting water resources.k