It is approximated that by year 2016 the Indian population will increase to 1.26 billion. If growth continues to be the same, India will become the most populous country in the world by 2050 leaving behind China. The fact that India will be having 18% of world’s population on 2.4% of the world’s area clearly suggests the pressure on its natural resources. The cities will be the most affected ones with problems such as soil erosion, desertification, water shortage and pollution. This has led the environmentalists in action and they are legislating new rules such as making the water harvestation compulsory, etc. It has become a necessity in urban areas because of the high emissions of carbon and other harmful gases.

[Image source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Government Buildings]

While going through this article in Times of India ,”TIME TO ACT, NATURALLY”, I realized that some parts of India have already come into action and started turning Green. Lavasa near Pune is one such city. These cities emit minimum harmful gases, sewage is recycled for irrigation purposes, energy is generated through renewable sources, etc. However, the most important thing that should be worked upon is awareness and promotion of benefits of turning Green.

Green Buildings are on a rise these days, they are designed specifically for helping the environment. LEED Ratings are certified to the buildings who abide by all the norms such as natural ventilation etc.

There are many benefits associated with making a city Green :

* 30% of total energy consumption of a city is consumed by residential sectors according to Bureau of Energy Efficiency. Green buildings reduce this consumption by a large amount by using zero discharge systems, natural lighting and environment friendly building materials.
* Solid waste management leads to water purity and reduces soil pollution.

To preserve the greenery around and save our cities, we really need to accelerate the Greenery process.

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