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Getting eco-logical!
GEETA PADMANABHAN
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CO2 sensors and sometimes, ice for cooling! There’s nothing detrimental to the environment in Grundfos’ CEO N. K. Ranganath’s space
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Pumping out pollution N. K. Ranganath in his office
The contrast cannot be sharper. Just a sturdy wall separates Grundfos’ grass-and-bubbling-water landscape from the noise-and-greenhouse-gascape of OMR. There is obsessive conservation on this side, that “assaults” you all the way up to CEO N.K. Ranganath’s office — vaulted central ceiling to let in light, open area to seat secretary and guests, no artificial lights till 5.15 p.m., recycled water for the garden, solar water heating, vermi-composting, rainwater harvesting, neem-based pesticides and re-planting of coconut trees. At Grundfos eco-footprints fall very softly.
Am I allowed to breathe out? “We monitor CO2 with sensors,” Ranganath warned. “If the ambient CO2 crosses the level outside, fresh air is pumped in.” I try not to gasp. And this is a greasy manufacturing unit? “We make the best water pumps,” he smiled. “Everything is washed clean.” Using minimum resources.
East meets West
Coconut leaves rustle the windows of the island-of-calm office. It’s a Danish firm with a local workforce, East meets West is the running theme. The Tanjore painting is a Danish gift. Architect Vineeta Bhadve’s strikingly modern concept sketches that the CEO has smartly framed “were inspired by a temple plan.” The used-and-recycled Scandinavian furniture sits on a very Indian granite floor. Tiles are a no-no, they consume chemicals. Ah, the office is AC-ed. “But uses hfc not detrimental to the environment.” Thrift in energy spending extends to making and feeding ice into a tank to supplement cooling needs.
The CEO’s adjustable table seems to invite paper. “I am an engineer at heart. See all that technical stuff on the shelf? I feel good referring to engineering principles I was educated on. I always carry newspapers, magazines, office papers and talk material.” Sure he uses “this cousin of the idiot box” to send messages, but he can’t think on-screen. “I need to see the numbers on paper, to make sense of and comment. May be I should buy a bigger screen. Rest assured, it’s one-side-used paper.” The wall-mounted TV is for showing corporate movies to the client. A couple of tall potted plants and a deer-shaped candle stand complete the décor.
“We don’t believe in building an art gallery here,” but the right picture for the wall opposite is welcome. The four clocks on the far wall must mean something? Yes, a regular time piece, a temp gauge, humidity meter and a barometer. “I can tell if it is going to rain when I leave after 8 to 9 hours here,” Ranganath laughed.
The plant was constructed carefully to align itself with the pump promo: “Energy and cost efficient, environment friendly.” “We wanted to walk the talk and the office is a full-scale working model. It’s the third in India to get a LEED gold rating. It’s also fully accessible. Though 1+1, it has a Braille and voice-instructed lift, large enough for a wheelchair. The shop floor is disabled-friendly.
Electric vehicles, gas forklifts, car park under steel tubes and cloth roof. When he waves good-bye, the friendly CEO is probably thinking of ways to convert the movement into energy – pollution-free.
Favourite spot
I am an engineer at heart. I like all that technical stuff on the shelf. I feel good referring to the engineering principles I was educated on.
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