GRIHA Council working with HFCs to incentivise sustainable construction practices: CEO Sanjay Seth

New Delhi, Nov 3 (PTI) GRIHA Council, which provides green building ratings, on Monday said it is working with housing finance firms for incentivising environment-friendly construction practices.

The council noted that it has developed a new certification framework 'Awas Nirman GRIHA or JAN GRIHA' as part of its aim to promote affordable and sustainable housing at grassroots level.

At the 17th edition of its flagship event 'The GRIHA Summit' being held here on November 3-4, the GRIHA Council launched 'GRIHA Infrastructure Rating for Metro Stations', a specialised framework curated in collaboration with Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) to advance sustainability in India's expanding metro infrastructure network.

GRIHA Council administers GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment), which is recognised as India's own green building rating system.

Addressing the event, Sanjay Seth, Vice President and CEO of GRIHA Council, said, "Taking inspiration from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs' commitment to affordable, sustainable and resilient housing, GRIHA Council has developed a new certification framework, Jan Awas Nirman GRIHA or JAN GRIHA." This initiative aligns with the national goal of Net Zero 2070, and aims to democratise sustainability by reaching the grassroots level of India's built environment.

"To facilitate the adoption of JAN GRIHA certification, GRIHA Council is working with Housing Finance Corporations (HFCs), towards improving access to affordable home loans and incentivise sustainable construction practices," Seth said.

He said the realities of climate change are no longer distant warnings but they are central to every discourse, every decision and every design being made.

"The theme of this year's summit, 'Innovate to Act for a Climate Resilient World', reminds us that creativity and commitment must converge to shape a sustainable future," Seth said.

He highlighted that the Council has evaluated the ministry's six Light House Projects and assessed their performance against sustainability benchmarks, The Council helped in identify opportunities for integrating green design principles in mass housing. PTI MJH TRB