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Reduce, reuse, recycle
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The simple formula of three ‘R’s in the property industry helps in creating cleaner living spaces.
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The pollution level in Bangalore is increasing every day. The number of vehicles has been steadily increasing. And the number of trees on either side of the roads has been reducing. Road widening and property development have taken a toll on the city’s green cover. Lack of adequate space for rainwater seepage into the ground has led to dropping water tables. Discharge of industrial effluents has led to polluted ground water.
What is the answer to the problem of environment degradation and pollution?
There is no point in berating development. There is bound to be a rapid growth and the city’s boundaries are bound to go further. More vehicles will ply on the roads and there will be lesser number of trees in the city limits. This is the price one has to pay for development.
“The answer lies in innovation and eco-friendly measures in production and built environments. We need to ensure that as many products as possible are made using bio-degradable materials. Also, we need to minimise cutting down trees or tapping fossil fuels. This certainly is possible without putting the brakes on the pace of commercial development,” advises Ramakumar Purushotham, Associate Vice-President, Energy Upstream, Enzen Global Solutions, an energy and environment consulting firm.
“There is a simple formula to conserve the environment: The Three ‘R’s — Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle,” explains Ramakumar. “Every manufacturing industry can adapt these methods in the processes easily. A national environment policy will soon be put in place. This policy aims at creating cleaner manufacturing processes that will not endanger the environment.”
In the context of the property sector, it is possible to create a more eco-friendly environment using the simple formula of the three ‘R’s.
Reduce strain
It is necessary to reduce the strain on the environment. For one, we can reduce dependence on wood and increase use of material such as stabilised mud blocks. Clay tiles and hollow bricks and blocks are also a good option.
“The sourcing of clay happens from local tanks and does not consume valuable agricultural land. During the production process of clay hollow blocks and clay tiles itself, waste is added (fly ash, saw dust, rice husk) and only a minimal amount of waste products occur which can be recycled. Clay building materials are 100 per cent natural which can be recycled. Clay bricks are not only one of the oldest building materials, but also one of the greenest from cradle to grave,” explains Ingo Hofmaier, Managing Director, Wienerberger Brick Industry Pvt. Ltd., an Austrian company into manufacture of clay bricks and tiles.
Also, solar water heating should be incorporated in every home. Apart from saving on power bills, this helps in saving electricity that is difficult and expensive to generate.
“Another area where houses can make a difference is rainwater harvesting. This is crucial to ensure repletion of groundwater. With the large amount of groundwater being tapped around the city, this is a crucial measure. This is inexpensive to install, and requires no maintenance. It can help recharge the city’s dropping groundwater table significantly and make the agricultural land more fertile too,” says Ramakumar.
A great many buildings in the city are pulled down to make way for bigger or different structures. There are many elements – especially wooden ones – that can be reused.
It is common to see people using ancient structures brought from rural areas in contemporary buildings. Staircases to doors, many antique objects find their way into buildings. Reusing elements made out of wood etc should be encouraged. This helps in preserving nature to a great extent.
Households as well as commercial units can help in the process of recycling waste. “We use the waste water from our production unit which is recycled (filtered and treated in a sewage treatment site), for watering the entire landscaped area surrounding our plant so that the water is not wasted,” says Hans Georg Hummel, Managing Director, Mann And Hummel Filter India, a German company into the production of filter and filtration systems in its plant in Tumkur.
Large apartments can also have a water recycling plant to treat sewage water for reuse in the gardens to help conserve water.
MYTHILI G. NIRVAN
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Property Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
Kochi
Malabar
Thiruvananthapuram
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