Results of on-ground assessments carried out by the Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) show that the Telangana state’s 2BHK affordable housing projects are located in the outskirts of the city and they all lack connectivity, basic features which could increase the cost of living and defeat the purpose of having affordable housing schemes. These affordable housing projects which provide 2BHK units to beneficiaries under the state government’s housing schemes do not have connectivity to transport services, lack of schools & educational institutions nearby and no minimum healthcare facilities around the project locations.
The report from CSE also revealed that a lot of these buildings could be adapted to reduce heat gain, there is also an increased scope for improving ventilation and areas receiving daylight to facilitate temperature control & decrease energy intensity of the buildings. These findings were all part of a report published by the CSE & Administrative Staff College at a special meeting. The report was titled ‘Guidelines for Affordable Housing in Telangana’ and was released by the Special Chief Secretary of CSE – Arvind Kumar.
The report published by the CSE emphasizes the need for energy saving designs & construction methods for the upcoming housing schemes across the country. Even housing projects being developed by private builders should implement ecological designs to help maintain thermal control within the residential units. If these energy saving designs are not implemented, the temperature fluctuation inside the houses will be quite high and residents must resort to use of air-conditioners or heaters to maintain optimal temperatures. This will eventually lead to high energy consumption, higher living costs and wasteful use of resources.
The country’s real-estate market is on the road to recovery and crores of residential units will be added to the formal housing stock over the period of coming 4-5 years. India is aiming to reduce carbon emissions and has set a target of eliminating 1 billion tonnes of carbon reduction by 2030, the implementation of these eco-designs in the upcoming housing projects built by both the government and private players can boost carbon reduction by decreasing carbon emissions when energy consumed is lower due to the efficient thermal management design of housing projects.
The Andhra Pradesh government is already implementing the use of the Eco-Niwas Program for construction techniques in its affordable housing schemes. The Eco-Niwas program is a joint effort between the Indian & Switzerland government to build efficient, energy-saving buildings which will reduce energy consumption and maintain ambient temperatures inside the houses. These kinds of programs could be utilized across India and help decrease energy consumption and reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.
