Comfort visual, thermal, noise level, air quality

Energy Sewage
  

Water
Storm water Pollution
Ecology and geology
Solid waste management
Building materials

An abridged manual on
e n v i r o n m e n ta l
building Guidelines
for Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority

Comfort visual, thermal, noise level, air quality)

Energy Water Storm water
  

Sewage Ecology and geology

Pollution
Solid waste management Building materials
 An abridged manual on
e n v i r o n m e n ta l
building Guidelines
for Hyderabad Metropolitan Area
© The Energy and Resources Institute, 2009

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means
without prior permission of The Energy and Resources Institute, Terra Viridis Partnership Ltd, and
Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority.

Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority

6-3-1190, Green Lands Guest House
Begumpet, Hyderabad – 500 016
Andhra Pradesh, India
Tel.  23400681,23400682
Web  http://www.hmda.gov.in

Published by
T E R I Press
The Energy and Resources Institute Tel. 2468 2100 or 4150 4900
Darbari Seth Block Fax 2468 2144 or 2468 2145
IHC Complex India +91  •  Delhi (0) 11
Lodhi Road E-mail teripress@teri.res.in
New Delhi – 110 003, India Web www.teriin.org

Printed in India
 CONTENTS

Project team  iv
Messages  v
Foreword  ix
Preface  xi
Abbreviation  xiii
Introduction  xv

Energy........................................................................ 1
Comfort....................................................................... 15
Water......................................................................... 21
Storm water................................................................. 27
Sewage....................................................................... 33
Solid waste management.................................................. 39
Pollution...................................................................... 45
Ecology and geology........................................................ 49
Building materials.......................................................... 53
Glossary . .................................................................... 55

Project team
HMDA (Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority)
Project Coordinator
  V Madhwa Raja
Committee Members
  Anant Bhide, Venugopal Reddy, Sudhir Mohan,
  Vivek Deshmukh, and S P Shorey

TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute)

Pradeep Kumar, Mili Majumdar, Hina Zia, Minni Mehrotra,
Priyanka Kochchar, Apoorv Vij, Rana Pratap Poddar, Sudipta
Singh, Nitish Poornia, Tarun Garg, Siddharth Tampi, and
Shraddha Mahore

TVPL (Terra Viridis Pvt. Ltd)

Swati Puchalapalli, Srikumar Sattaru, and Pallavi Damodaran

TERI Press
Richa Sharma, R Ajith Kumar, Chandni Sengupta, and
T Radhakrishnan
 CHIEF MINISTER
ANDHRA PRADESH

I am glad to know that the HyderabadMetropolitan Development

Authority is releasing an educational booklet on Environment Building
Guidelines for sustainable development of the historic city of Hyderabad.
Hyderabad has become a global city, the best place to do business
and to live. Our beautiful city is prospering and growing at an enormous
rate. However we cannot continue to grow in the present manner without a
detrimental impact on our environment. We no longer have abundant
availability of water. We cannot generate limitless levels of energy. Ever
changing weather patterns due to climate change are playing havoc in our
daily lives. It is time we start preparing ourselves to face the consequences
of climate changes on one hand while helping to reduce our contributions
to it on the other. The solution is not to curtail development but to develop
sustainably.
The foresight of HMDA in developing Hyderabad specific building
guidelines will ensure not only a higher quality of life for us but also for
our children. Following these guidelines will be the gr t gift we can
bestow upon our future generations.

This message was received prior to the sad demise of the then H’ble Chief Minister Dr Y S R Reddy.
 r C V.S.K. SARMA,IAS Municipal Administration &
Principal Secretary to Government & Urban Development Department
Chairman, Hyderabad Metro Rail Government of Andhra Pradesh
L-Block, A.P.Secretariat
Hyderabad - 500 022.
(() : Off : + 91-40- 2345 2499
Tele/Fax: + 91 -40- 23450622
Res: + 91-40- 2355 0256
e-mail: prlsecy_maud@ap.gov.in

There is currently no end in sight to our daily power and municipal water
shortages. There will be no respite from the flooding of our roads during
the monsoon and the over flowing of garbage on to our streets. The air
we breathe and the lakes we utilise are getting more and more polluted.
The loss of Hyderabad's unique rock formations and corresponding
biodiversity is accelerating.

These problems will only get worse unless each one of us make a
conscious effort to change the way the city operates, the buildings we
build and our behavioural patterns within our own gamut, be it the
government, corporate bodies, institutions or individuals.

The set of environmental building guidelines developed specifically for

Hyderabad by HMDA along with their consultants TERI and Terra
Viridis will assist each of us to make a positive contribution. Written in a
form that either a professional or layman can utilise, following these
guidelines will help in correcting the problems that the rapid, haphazard
development of Hyderabad has resulted in.

Going green does not mean a reduced standard of living. Quite the
opposite, it not only enhances your current quality of life but also
ensures an enhanced quality of life for your children and the future
generations.

I
ndia heads for an economic growth of about 8 per
cent with cities contributing a major portion to this
growth. Meeting the infrastructure requirements of
these cities is of fundamental importance to India’s
economic growth aspirations and its efforts to raise
the level of human development.
Hyderabad Metropolitan Region (HMR), the capital city
of Andhra Pradesh state is witnessing high economic growth
especially in IT sector, biotechnology, entertainment industry,
manufacturing and service sector. Building and real estate
sector is likely to grow along with this economic growth. The
existing status of various infrastructure facilities related
to construction, operation and maintenance of buildings
– including water, energy, and waste management – all
demonstrate serious gaps at present, which are expected to
increase in the future. However, the building sector holds
a lot of potential to conserve and reduce the pressure on
depleting resources like energy and water besides improving
environmental quality in Hyderabad.
Considering immense challenges on climate change
and global warming, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development
Authority (HMDA) initiated a study in the year 2007 on
Environmental Building Regulations and Guidelines (EBRGs)
for a sustainable development of Hyderabad Metropolitan
Region. The broad vision behind the EBRG project is to assess
the present and future environmental issues in the building
industry, specifically with respect to urban development
and propose guidelines for environmental sustainable
building design, construction and operation to promote and
integrate sustainable practices and provide an affordable
and higher quality environment for the residents.
This is an unique initiative and Hyderabad is one of first
cities in India to take up this initiative, which forcefully
reinstates HMDAs commitment towards sustainable
development of Hyderabad Metropolitan Region.
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi in
association with Terra Viridis Partnership Limited (TVPL) are
the consultants for the project.
FOREWORD
During the study, the builders, planners, architects,
engineers, resident welfare associations, GHMC, APPCB,
APCPDCL, HMWS&SB, GoAP, academicians and various
stakeholders in HMR were actively involved. The EBRGs
proposed by the consultants were placed for further extensive
stakeholders dialogues and finally a set of Environmental
Building Guidelines (EBGs) were firmed up covering various
aspects of urban development like energy, comfort, water
and storm water, sewage, solid waste management, building
materials, ecology and geology.
The detailed guidelines and other information are
provided at HMDA website <www.hmda.gov.in>. The
website has easy to use tools, calculators and links to other
resources.
This booklet summarises the guidelines and can be
used by one and all as a ready reckoner for both new and
existing buildings. The EBGs can be followed by architects,
engineers, developers, building owners and common man to
enable design, construction and operation of environment
friendly buildings and developments.
A book of this magnitude and complexity could not have
been brought out without help of all the stakeholders and
their contributions are gratefully acknowledged.
TERI and TVPL made a commendable work in providing
the research content in simple and lucid manner with
attractive illustrations for easy understanding.
We encourage everyone to read and derive benefit of
the knowledge resources that have been provided in this
contents, practice and spread the spirit of green concepts.
Dr K S Jawahar Reddy, IAS
Metropolitan Commissioner
HMDA

T
he EBRG (Environmental Building Regulation
Guideline) educational booklet is an attempt
to create environmental awareness in the
built environment available to all. The booklet
is a concise version of the EBRGs developed
for the HMDA (Hyderabad Metropolitan Development
Authority). Due to rapid growth in the Greater Hyderabad
region, HMDA decided to develop environmental building
regulations, which can be used as guidelines for all future
developments, keeping in mind the environmental impacts
of construction. The EBRGs attempt to provide model
parameters to adopt and follow in order to minimize the
negative impacts of construction. This is to ensure that the
pressure on infrastructural facilities like electricity, sewage
disposal, and so on, for the upcoming sub-urban regions is
minimized.
PREFACE
The EBRGs look at various aspects of buildings like energy
consumption, water requirements, ecology and geology
on site, building materials, sewage disposal, comfort,
storm water management, solid waste management, and
pollution control. The Guidelines look at these aspects at
the neighbourhood level as well as the buildings level. The
neighbourhood level interventions and the building level
interventions together create a sustainable habitat.
The booklet has one page description of various aspects
of each Guideline along with tips and easy solutions for the
users to understand and adopt the concepts easily. Various
aspects of each Guideline, have been explained in the
simplest possible way in order to ensure that even a non-
technical person is able to read and understand them.
 ABBREVIATIONS

SHRAE
A American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air conditioning Engineers
BEE Bureau of Energy Efficiency
BIS Bureau of Indian Standards
CPCB Central Pollution Control Board
ECBC Energy Conservation Building Code
HMDA Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority
HVAC Heating, ventilation and air conditioning
LED Light-emitting diode
MoEF Ministry of Environment and Forests
NBC National Building Code
RCC Reinforced cement concrete
RO Reverse osmosis
SEGR Specific Energy Generation Ratio
SHGC Solar heat gain coefficient
SUDS Sustainable urban drainage systems
TDS Total dissolved solids
VOC Volatile organic compounds

U
rban centres across the world face major
challenges in the form of increasing population
and infrastructure pressures. As a result, major
shortages of natural resources occur as demand
increases alongside population, even while
supplies decrease. Buildings alone are major contributors to
energy and resource consumption and, therefore, provide
many possibilities for reduction in resource consumption.
Hyderabad, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh, is one such
fast growing urban centre facing enormous population and
infrastructure pressure with buildings contributing to the
various environmental hazards in the area.
Recognizing these concerns and challenges, the HMDA
(Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority) is
committed to put in place building regulations and guidelines
to.
PP Assess present and future environmental issues in the
building industry with a focus on urban development in
Greater Hyderabad;
PP Provide an affordable and higher quality environment
for habitants of Greater Hyderabad;
PP Promote and integrate sustainable building practices, as
it benefits both current and future generations;
PP Formulate guidelines and regulations in building
design, construction, and operation for a balanced and
sustainable built environment;
PP Facilitate guidelines and regulations in building
design, construction, and operation for a balanced and
sustainable built environment;
PP Educate people in environmental building design and
remove the false notion that environmental building
design equates to higher building costs; and
PP Create awareness among public utility agencies, building
professionals, and users in making decisions to introduce
sustainable building features in design and construction.
Environmental building regulations and
guidelines
The existing system of guidelines and building regulations
were prepared with a piecemeal approach and a strong need
was felt to improve the building guidelines in an integrated
manner, keeping it at par with the best international
practices. The HMDA has taken this initiative to draw a
vision for a sustainable Hyderabad. The development of
EBRGs (environmental building regulations and guidelines)
for Hyderabad is a first move towards this direction.
INTRODUCTION
The current system of guidelines for buildings do not cover
all the aspects such as energy efficiency, comfort conditions,
on-site water and waste management, consideration of
specific topography, site conditions, and other ecological
issues. It is also observed that the connectivity, between
individual buildings and its surroundings, is currently lacking
in the existing system of guidelines. As a result, the area is
fast growing into a concrete jungle with complete dismay
to its rich heritage and natural bounty. It has, therefore,
become essential to redraw our vision and frame guiding
principles to drive Hyderabad towards a greener and
healthier place in line with its beautiful past.
The broad vision behind developing the new framework of
guidelines is to assess the present and future environmental
issues in the building industry, specifically with respect to
urban development in the Hyderabad Development Area
and propose guidelines for environmentally sustainable
building design, construction, and operation in a wider
context to promote and integrate sustainable practices and
provide an affordable and higher quality environment for
the residents.
Relevance of EBRGs for a green habitat
Environmental building regulations and guidelines encompass
a wide range of issues both at the neighbourhood scale and at
the individual buildings level. These guidelines try to build a
greener habitat, by considering various environmental issues,
at both these scales and attempts to incorporate the green
buildings concept. Green building is the practice of increasing
the efficiency through which buildings use resources, viz.,
energy, water and materials, while reducing building impacts
on human health and the environment during the building’s
lifecycle, through planned design, construction, operation,
maintenance, resource recycle, and reuse in a wider context
of its locality.
Green buildings are the ones, which encompass several
environment-friendly products and features. They showcase
concern for extending life span of natural resources;
provide human comfort, safety, and productivity. This
results in reduction of operation and maintenance costs,
conservation of energy and water, health, social benefits,
and other intangible benefits.
These guidelines are, thus, designed to reduce the
overall impact of the built environment on human health
and the natural environment by
xvi Introduction
PP Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources
PP Protecting occupant health and improving employee
productivity
PP Reducing waste, pollution, and environmental
degradation
They are designed to use the least amount of non-
renewable energy and natural resources, and to use these
resources in the most efficient manner. Further, such
buildings produce a minimum amount of pollution and cost
less as compared to conventional buildings. In addition to
these, such a habitat creates a healthy and comfortable
place for people to live and work.
Scope of the booklet
This booklet is an attempt to give a concise summary of
the aforementioned building guidelines and regulations to
the common man in an easy-to-understand format. These
guidelines will introduce the common people to the ‘what’
and ‘how’ of various issues pertaining to constructing a new
building or retrofitting an existing building at neighbourhood
scale, as well as the individual building level with the
prime objective of living a healthier lifestyle. The booklet
contains simple solutions and tips to improve the energy
and resource performance of new and existing buildings—
residential and non-residential.
Kindly visit the website of HMDA for further detailed
information on any of the guidelines and the legal process
to do so.
List of EBRGs
The developed guidelines have been classified under three
broad sectors and sub-sectors within as follows.
a) Energy and indoor comfort-energy, comfort
b) Water and wastewater—water, sewage, storm water
c) Quality of built environment— solid waste, pollution,
ecology and geology, building materials
Following gives a list of all these guidelines under the
various sub-sectors:
Energy
1. Layout and design as per solar geometry
2. Plan for environment-friendly transportation on site
3. Provide for energy-efficient site lighting and use
renewable-energy-based (solar PV, biomass, wind, fuel
cells) lighting system
4. Minimum local amenities to reduce use of private
vehicles
5. Control light pollution
6. Solar passive design for new buildings
7. Provide roof treatment to cut heat gains
8. Window design for day lighting, solar control, and
ventilation
9. Design energy-efficient lighting in all new residential
and commercial buildings and retrofit external and
common area lighting with efficient fixtures and apply
lighting controls in existing residential complexes/
buildings
10. Design energy-efficient space conditioning in commercial
buildings
11. Replace existing equipment by BEE labelled appliances
/equipment and use BEE labelled appliances/equipment
in all new buildings
12. Provide solar water heating systems to meet minimum
20% of service hot water requirement for new
commercial and residential buildings
13. Perform mandatory energy audit for existing commercial
buildings with connected load in cases of 500 kW or 600
kVA and reduce energy expenditure by 20% over previous
year. Follow prescriptive/mandatory requirements of
lighting, HVAC, electrical, and hot water systems as per
the ECBC (Energy Conservation Building Code) 2007 for
all new commercial buildings, as stipulated by the ECBC
2007
Comfort
14. Provide thermal comfort (for air conditioned and
naturally/mechanically ventilated spaces) as per the
NBC (National Building Code) for all new residential and
commercial buildings
15. Provide adequate day lighting as per the NBC and the
ECBC
16. Use internal finishes with no or low VOC (volatile organic
compound) content
17. Indoor noise levels as per the NBC, 2005
18. Maintain indoor air quality standards
Water
19. Water conserving fittings
20. Drinking water quality requirements
21. Water conserving landscaping
22. Water audits to assess water conservation potential in
existing buildings
Storm water
23. Adherence to neighbourhood catchment area and
drainage pattern
24. An integrated approach for SUDS (sustainable urban
drainage system)
25. Reducing storm water runoff and heat island effect
through permeable paving and infiltration trenches
26. Rainwater harvesting and collection from roofs
Sewage
27. Dual plumbing systems and wastewater treatment
28. Decentralized STPs ‐ Operation and maintenance
requirements
 Introduction xvii

29. Safe disposal of treated unused grey water and Pollution

wastewater
36. Control levels of air pollution during construction
30. Safe sludge disposal methods
37. Ensure ambient outdoor noise standards
Solid Waste Management
Ecology and geology
31. Waste management of municipal solid waste at
38. Conserving site vegetation through design and during
neighbourhood level
construction
32. Waste management of residential waste
39. Soil conservation and erosion control during
33. Waste management for commercial buildings (also
construction
caters to e-waste)
40. Conserving site geology through design and during
34. Waste management of biomedical waste from hospitals/
construction
health care facilities
35. Reduction in waste during construction and construction
and demolition waste management plan Building materials
41. Use of sustainable building materials
 ENERGY

T
he prime intent for developing energy-related EBRGs (Environmental
Building Regulations and Guidelines) is to enable the reduction of energy
consumed by buildings, through proper transport planning in large
neighbourhoods, site planning, and adopting climate-responsive design
for buildings, in addition to using efficient lighting and space cooling.
Integration of renewable energy for water heating is also suggested in the regulations.
There are also a number of existing buildings that need to be made energy efficient.
An EBRG on conducting energy audit of existing buildings has also been included.
The EBRGs have been divided into two sections. The first section comprises
guidelines that specify the actions that need to be taken at the neighborhood and site
levels during the planning stage. These include layout and planning as per the solar
geometry, planning for eco-friendly transportation on-site, energy-efficient and solar-
based site lighting, making available facilities within easily approachable distances,
and controlling light pollution. The next set of EBRGs is tailored for building-level
interventions for new and existing buildings. The basic approach towards developing
EBRGs is based on three fundamental strategies adopted to optimize energy
performance in a building.
1 Reducing energy demand
2 Maximizing system efficiency
3 Optimizing the usage of renewable energy
2

Guideline

Layout and design of buildings should be as per solar geometry

P Longer dimensions of buildings should face north and south (with a maximum deviation of 5º off north)
and shorter dimensions should face east and west. In multistoried apartments, the sides having openings
should face either north or south.
P The southern sides of the plots should be shaded by deciduous trees. In case of high-rise structures,
windows or façade should be shaded by in-built shading devices.
P The east and west façades should be protected by using shading devices, vegetation or buffer spaces.
P Courtyards should be oriented along east–west axis to
capture maximum wind. To create cooler microclimate conditions,
water elements should be provided along the wind paths.

Orientation of buildings
P A building can be laid out and designed on the basis of sun path and wind direction.
P A building designed according to solar path remains comparatively cool in summers and warm in
winters, thus obviating the need for artificial heating or cooling.
P If oriented properly, a building receives comparatively less radiation, which results in lesser heat gains.
This reduces overall air conditioning requirement, which, in turn, saves energy.
P Solar angle and altitude with respect to a particular surface vary with time, following a distinct
geometry. This geometry can be followed while designing a building.
P Proper layout and design of a building ensure that the building benefits the maximum from the wind so
that there is no need for artificial ventilation and cooling.
P Planned layout and design of a building make the building
get just enough sunlight, without any glare.
P Incorporation of shading devices can be planned in the initial stages of layout and design, which will
lead to energy efficiency and add to the aesthetic appeal of the building.
P As the sun moves from east to west and sun path is more inclined towards south, the north façades of
the building do not receive direct radiation.
P Solar angles are low in east and west, while high in south.
P In efficient buildings, the longer façade faces north and south, while the smaller façade faces east and
west.
P The radiation can be cut-off by using shading devices.
P Shading devices protect the building by obstructing the vertical shadow angle and horizontal shadow
angle, which are calculated from sun path diagram.

Correct orientation and shading helps

reduce energy consumption by almost 15%
 3

Guideline

Eco-friendly transportation on-site

P Eco-friendly mode of transportation should be provided for intra-site transportation, with adequate
provision for bicycle tracks and shaded footpaths for sites 50 acres or more in area.
P Linear layouts leading to large vehicular lengths should be avoided. Cluster layouts should be preferred.
P Battery charging facilities should be provided for projects of size 50 acres or above—one for 50 parked
cars. These charging points should be placed at convenient locations and should be spaced equally.
P For basement parking, provision for minimum daylight and ventilation should be made for the first
basement. To ensure a minimum of three air changes per hour, a minimum vertical opening area
equivalent to 10% of floor area should be provided on the basement wall (on both windward and leeward
sides).

Advantages of using eco-friendly modes of transportation

P Eco-friendly modes of transportation do not cause environmental pollution like conventional modes of
transportation.
P Using eco-friendly vehicles saves on the conventional fuel.
P There is no carbon footprint when eco-friendly vehicles are used.
P Walking and cycling are the healthiest modes of transportation.
P Planting shady trees on
footpaths and cycling
tracks enhances the natural
environment.

Guidelines for
ensuring eco-friendly
transportation
P Cluster layout Clusters reduce
the long lengths of road and also
the vehicular speed. Parking
spaces in cluster development
can be provided outside the
cluster.
P Facilities for cyclists and
pedestrians Pedestrians and
cyclists should be provided
with amenities like drinking
water fountains, benches, cycle Trees shade walking paths and cycling tracks
parking, and so on. Cycling
tracks and sidewalks should be planted with shady trees.
P Landscaping Landscaping plan should be incorporated in road systems to enhance the aesthetics. Green
belt should be maintained around roads.
P Visibility Landscaping should be done in such a way that it does not obstruct the visibility and
movement.
P Public transportation Public mode of transportation should be encouraged to make travelling efficient
and convenient.
P Electric vehicle Electric vehicles are least polluting, so their use should be encouraged. Facilities
should be provided for charging the batteries used for such vehicles.
4

Guideline

Energy-efficient and renewable-energy-based external lighting

P Horizontal average illuminance should be equal to or more than that defined in IS:1944 (Parts I&II
– 1970, as per classification of road).
P 50%–100% of outdoor lighting should be based on solar photovoltaics alone or in combination with other
renewable sources of energy like biomass, fuel cell, wind, and so on.
P Luminous efficacy of external light sources used for outdoor lighting shall equal or exceed 60 lm/W in
case of compact fluorescent lamps, 75 lm/W in case of fluorescent lamps, 50 lm/W
in case of light-emitting diodes, and 90 lm/W in case of high-pressure sodium vapour
lamp.

Efficient lighting
P Efficient lighting ensures visual comfort and utilizes energy optimally and
efficiently.
P The switches used for outdoor lighting generally do not take seasonal
variation into account, which results in the wastage of energy. Therefore, Bollard
a device or a timer should be used that is sensitive to seasonal variations
and adjusts on the basis of actual length of day/night.
P Microcontroller-based time switch has inputs like real time, date, month,
year, and plus and minus offset. Due to its versatile concept of switching
at sunset and sunrise timings throughout the year, it saves on electrical
units, resulting in reduced electric bills.
P Solar energy and other sources of renewable energy can be used for outdoor
lighting, which requires minimum maintenance and operation cost.

Criteria for choosing outdoor lighting

The choice of source for external lighting is guided by following considerations.
P Luminous flux
P Economy (determined by lumens/watt and life)
P Colour characteristics

Types of outdoor lighting

P Up lights   Used to highlight the ceiling. Installed in places like under-
foliage or near bigger plants to create a glowing effect.
P Path lights  Used to light up walkways.
P Ornamental lights  Used to enhance landscape features.
P Electric lamps
v High pressure mercury vapour lamps  Light is produced by passing an
electric charge through gaseous mercury. Though the efficacy of mercury
lamps is less compared to fluorescent lamps, they are very popular for
outdoor lighting.
v High pressure sodium vapour lamps  Light is produced by passing an
electric discharge through the combined vapours of mercury and sodium.
They have a distinct yellow or golden yellow appearance.
v Metal halide lamps  Also known as metal arc lamps, these are mercury
vapour lamps with metal compounds like halides. These are used in car
parking areas and city centres. They have a relatively shorter life.
P Solar energy-powered lights  These lights do not require any wiring and
are powered by a photovoltaic panel. This panel charges the inverter, which
Solar PV panel powered outdoor supplies power to lamps.
lighting
 5

Guideline

Providing basic amenities in order to reduce the use of private vehicles

Benefits
P Facilities like grocery stores, health care, community halls, ATMs, parks, and recreational facilities need
to be located within a 500-metre radius from where the people live or residential complexes come up.
P This will ensure that the people do not have to travel long distances in their private vehicles to procure
things of daily use.
P There would be minimal adverse impacts on the environment, as there would be limited emission of
polluting greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide.
P Provision of basic facilities in new and upcoming residential localities ensures that these localities
develop into buzzing centres.
P People are saved from the drudgery of going long distances and have more quality time to spend as they
wish to.

Various facilities for which guidelines have been provided are as follows.
P Schools  Ideally, there should be a pre-primary/nursery school for a population of 200 people, a primary
school for a population of about 5000 people, and a senior secondary school for a population of 7500
people. This will ensure that children do not have to travel long distance.
P Hospitals  A clinic should be available for a population comprising 15 000 people, and a nursing home
with child care facilities should be available for a population of 50 000 people.
P Recreational facility  People need community halls to organize various functions like marriages or to
simply play or relax. There should be a community hall for 5000 people, and for a population of about
15 000 people, there should be a community hall and a library.
P Petrol pump  There should be at least one petrol pump for 150 hectares of gross residential areas.
P Milk booths  Milk booths offer various dairy products like milk, curd, buttermilk, and so on. There
should be a milk booth for every 5000 people.
P LPG (liquid petroleum gas) godowns  LPG facilities should be made available for the residential areas.
There should be a gas godown for 40 000 to 50 000 people.
P Police post  Any residential area needs to have a foolproof security system. There should be a police
post for 40 000–50 000 people and a police station for a population of 90 000.
P Fire station  There should be at least one fire station or a sub-fire station for a population of 200 000
people, within 1–3 kilometres.
P Fruit and vegetable market  Informal activities take place in a fruit and vegetable market. So such a
market needs to be planned and designed keeping the specifications of the residential areas in mind.

ATM Grocery shop

Healthcare

Childcare

Temple

Close proximity of various

services to the building
School helps in reducing the need
for transportation
6

Guideline

Reduction of outdoor light pollution

Source of light pollution
Light pollution can occur in one of the following ways.
P Outdoor illumination There is excessive and wasteful scatter of light, which contributes to light
pollution. This also leads to unwanted illuminance and glare.
P Advertising display The attractive lights used by companies to promote their products also causes light
pollution. They also distract motorists.
NO LIGHT AT OR ABOVE
FULL CUTOFF
Impacts of light pollution 90°
90°
P Light reflected from buildings at night-time helps 80°
CANDELA<10% OF RATED
pedestrians, but excessive light can also cause LUMENS
discomfort and distract motorists.
P Night-time sky visibility gets reduced due to excessive
0°
artificial lighting, which hampers the work of
astronomers.
CANDELA<5% OF RATED
P Light pollution also affects operations at airports, SEMI CUTOFF LUMENS
where pilots may face problems due to excessive 90°
artificial lighting. 80°
CANDELA<20% OF RATED
P Light pollution impacts the biological cycles of flora LUMENS
and fauna in the vicinity of artificial lights and also
affects the ecosystems operational in the area.
0°
P Behaviourial patterns of animals and birds get
affected due to artificial lighting.
P Excessive spillage of light is a form of electricity wastage. Full cut-off and semi cut-off luminaires used to
control outdoor light pollution
Zone classification
The Commission Internationale de l’Eclairge has divided areas into four broad categories or zones and has
set standards for the degree of light pollution permissible in these areas.
Each zone has been given a certain lux level restriction, the maximum being 6 lux for a subject lighting
in zone E4 during night–time, while in zones like E1 and E2, a maximum of 1 lux is permitted for subject
lighting.
P E1 (intrinsically dark)  This zone comprises areas such as national parks, where life thrives in every
form. Artificial lighting may interfere with the natural activity of flora and fauna. Astronomical
observatories also fall under this category.
P E2 (low ambient brightness)  This zone comprises rural and sub-urban areas, and road lighting in these
areas is brighter than usual.
P E3 (medium ambient brightness)  This zone comprises areas where night-time activity is slightly more
than E2 zone. So, here comparatively brighter light is permitted.
P E4 (high ambient brightness)  Brightest of all zones. Comprises urban downtown areas, where a lot of
commercial activity takes place, especially at nights. So, high ambient brightness is permitted in this
zone.

Reducing light pollution

P Care should be taken while designing external lighting so that the difference between lit and unlit areas
is not very stark.
P External lighting should be turned off when not required, so as to conserve energy.
P For E1 and E2 zones, full cut-off luminaires should be used. For other zones, semi cut-off or non cut-off
luminaires should be used.
P Sensors should be used.
P Renewable sources of energy like solar panels should be used.
P Use of efficient lamps ensures energy saving.
 7

Guideline

Solar passive design

P Buildings should minimize their dependence on conventional
systems of heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting, which utilize
electricity produced from non-renewable energy sources.
P Solar passive buildings are designed to provide thermal and visual
comfort by using natural energy sources and sinks like solar
radiation, outside air, wet surfaces, vegetation, and so on.

Objectives of solar passive buildings

P Solar passive buildings aim at providing high quality thermal and Courtyard planning is a recommended passive
visual comfort using natural elements. feature for hot and dry climate
P These buildings save energy and do not pollute the environment.
They provide a healthy atmosphere to live and work.
P They have a potential to reduce energy demand by 5%–20%.
P These buildings can also function independent of mechanical systems, which mean that in case of power
failure, they are well lit by natural daylight and are thermally comfortable.

Designing a solar passive building

Solar passive architecture design strategies
P Landscaping  Micro climate of a place can be altered by growing
trees and vegetation. Roof gardens also reduce heat load.
P Waterbodies  Water has a moderating effect on air temperature.
It has a high thermal storage capacity. Water evaporation has a
cooling effect on surroundings.
P Orientation  The amount of solar radiation falling on a surface
varies with orientation.
P Building form  Building form affects solar access and wind
Landscaping for modifying the micro-climate exposure as well as the rate of heat gain and loss through the
external envelope.
P Building materials and construction techniques  The energy content of a building can be reduced by
using building materials that use low energy in manufacturing.
P Building envelope  Building envelope components like walls, roof, windows, floor, and surface
finishes are the key determinants of the amount of heat gain or loss and wind entering the building.
P Thermal storage/thermal capacity  The heat storing capacity of building materials helps to
moderate fluctuation in the indoor temperature by providing a time delay.
P Thermal insulation  Insulation should be placed on the external side of wall and roof composition.
Heat gain through roofs could be reduced by external insulation, green roof or use of high reflective
material on roof top.

Advanced passive cooling

techniques
P Evaporative cooling  Waterbodies like
ponds, lakes or fountains help reduce air
temperature.
P Radiative cooling  Heat loss from the hotter
element will occur until equilibrium is
reached.
P Ventilation  It is the exchange of air between
the inside of a building and outside, which can be Cross-ventilation and stack effect
attained by cross-ventilation and stack effect.
8

Guideline

Roof treatment to reduce heat gains

Roof is the largest source of heat gain, especially in low-rise buildings. Hence, proper treatment of roof is
necessary to reduce heat gains during daytime.

Roof treatment: facts and benefits

P Treatment of roofs provides comfort levels and reduces cooling loads inside a building.
P Thermally insulating the roof reduces the U-value (thermal conductivity) for the roof section.
P A dark-coloured roof absorbs more heat and sunlight, increasing the cooling demand of the building.
P A reflective roof absorbs less heat and reflects incident radiation. High albedo (or solar reflectance,
which is a measure of a material’s ability to reflect sunlight) roof coatings or paints can be applied to
roofs.
P An ideal exterior surface coating would have, on a scale 0 to 1, reflectance near 1 and absorptance near
0. White plaster very nearly achieves this.
P By applying roof insulation in a 24-hour fully air-conditioned residential building, an annual energy
savings of 14% is achieved. Payback period is almost six years.

Specifications recommended by the Energy Conservation Building Code of

India, 2007
P All exposed roof shall have a maximum U-factor of 0.261 W/m2 ºC or a minimum R-value (the measure
of its resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more the material insulates. It is the
reciprocal of U-factor) of 3.5 m2 ºC/W.
P Roofs with slope less than 20º shall have an initial solar reflectance, on a scale of 0 to 1, of no less than
0.70 and an initial emittance (ability of a material to release absorbed heat) no less than 0.75 or shall
have 100% shading by using solar water heating panels or solar photovoltaic panels or shall have green
roof by integrating roof garden ventilation.

Roof insulation
Parapet wall
Roof insulation protects the building
against the inflow of heat during the day. Fillet
In India, construction practices mainly 3mm thick app modified lloyd plastolay-(P)
Reinforced with 160 gms nonwoven polyester
involve using RCC (reinforced cement Elastomeric sealant filled in the joint

concrete) as a roofing element, which Galvanised welded wiremesh

embeded in cement screed
has a high thermal conductivity. Various Bitumenised aluminium paint
insulation methods are discussed below. 40mm thick cement screed
Hot bitumen layer for adhesion
P Overdeck insulation In this system, PU slabs 50 mm thick 16+kg/m 3

a thermal barrier is provided over

the RCC, so that the heat of the
R.C.C. roof slab
sun doesn’t reach the RCC slab of
Bitumen primer
the roof at all. Overdeck insulation Screed laid in slope (1:100 min)
is carried out by either preformed
insulation materials, which are Roof water proofing with lloyd plastolay (P)
A.P.P. modified membrane with
adhered to the roof with the help of
a primer and an adhesive coat, or in Roof insulation for reducing heat gains
situ applications, which are applied
directly over the roof by spraying.
P Conventional practices Examples are foam concrete, mud phuska, and brick bat coba. However, these
are quite heavy and add dead load to the roof slab. These also have a tendency to develop cracks.
P Using higher albedo materials/cool roof Higher albedo paints and coats can significantly reduce the
heat island effect. These are highly efficient, energy saving, non-toxic, and environment friendly.
 9

Guideline

Window design for daylighting, solar control, and ventilation

For air-conditioned buildings

P Window-to-wall ratio should be restricted to maximum 60% of the gross wall
area. U-factor value and SHGC (solar heat gain coefficient) value should be
less than that recommended by the ECBC.
P Skylight area should be limited to a maximum of 5% of the gross roof area.
U-factor value and SHGC value should be less than that recommended by
the ECBC.
P Windows should be designed to meet daylight requirements as per the BIS.

For naturally ventilated non-air-conditioned buildings Light shelf-cum-window shade

P Windows should be designed to achieve maximum ventilation. Normally,
window areas having 15%–20% of floor area are ideal for both ventilation and daylight in hot and dry
climate zones.
P Windows should be completely shaded to avoid solar external heat gains through the openings.
P While designing windows, daylight requirements of the BIS should be met.

Windows
P Windows can achieve natural daylight and natural cooling through ventilation.
P Windows can be properly designed to cut down solar heat gains.
P Windows can be designed to provide glare-free diffuse natural daylight inside the building.
P Optimized window designs reduce the annual energy consumption for lighting and air conditioning.

Window design
Window size and placement
P The higher the window head, the deeper will be the penetration of daylight.
P Strip windows provide more uniform daylight.
P Big windows should not be placed close to work area, as they may cause
thermal discomfort.
P View and light windows should be separate.
P Window-to-wall ratio should not be more than 60% of the gross wall area.
Overhang Projection
Factor = A//B
Glazing
Glass is the most common glazing material used, although recently,
polycarbonate sheets are being used for skylights. Shading projection factors
P Glass with higher light transmittance should be selected.
P Reflective glazing reflects a large portion of solar radiation incident on it and thereby restrict heat gains
from window.
P Thermal transmittance, or U-value (affecting conduction heat gains), should be lower.

Frame
The type and quality of window frame affects a window’s air infiltration and heat gain/heat loss
characteristics. The most common types of framing materials used are metal, wood, and polymers.

Shading devices
P External shading It is the most effective, as it cuts off direct sunlight during summer and allows winter
sunlight to enter inside the space.
P Internal shading device By adjusting these properly, diffuse sunlight can be allowed to enter. However,
they do not keep solar heat out.
10

Guideline

Design energy-efficient lighting in all new residential and commercial

buildings and retrofit existing lighting systems with efficient ones
Norms and standards to be followed
P The illuminance levels on working plane should confirm to the levels recommended by the NBC (National
Building Code), 2005.
P The uniformity ratio (minimum illuminance divided by average illuminance levels) of an area, which is
entirely being utilized as a workplace, should not be less than 0.7, as per the NBC, 2005.
P Light power density (W/m2) of each space in the building and for the whole building should confirm to
the ECBC (Energy Conservation Building Code), 2007.
P Lighting systems in the interior spaces of buildings and exterior building features
like façade, roofs, entrances, exits, ground, and so on should comply with the
provisions of the ECBC. Some of the exceptions are as follows.
v Display or accent lighting used in galleries, museums, and so on.
v Lighting specifically designed for medical or dental procedures.
v Lighting integral to food warming and food preparation equipment.
P Daylight control strategies, as per the ECBC, 2007, for perimeter areas should Efficient
be integrated with access to daylighting. lamp and
P Mandatory lighting controls as per the ECBC, 2007, should be applied. luminaire

Good lighting tips

P Lamps with high colour rendering index should be used.
P For offices, semi-direct luminaries are recommended.
P For corridors and staircases, direct type of luminaires with wide spread of light distribution are
recommended.
P For residential buildings, bare fluorescent tubes are recommended.
P The NBC recommends a range of illumination levels for an activity, as conditions might be different for
the same activity in different interiors.
v Higher value of the range should be used when unusually low reflectance or contrasts are present
in the task, errors are costly to rectify, accuracy or high productivity is needed, and visual work is
critical.
v Lower value of the range may be used when the reflectance or contrast is unusually high, speed
and accuracy are not important, and the task is executed only occasionally.
P Lighting in external and common area for existing residential complexes/buildings should be retrofit
with efficient fixtures and lighting controls.
P All the spaces should use efficient lighting equipment like lamps, luminaires, and control gears.
P Lights should be dimmed or switched off when rooms are unoccupied or during daylit hours.

Benefits of efficient lighting

P Improved visibility  Energy-efficient lighting design enhances the quality and efficiency of lighting.
P Energy saving  By reducing the connected load of the lighting system, energy savings are maximized.
Efficient lighting controls reduce energy consumption by avoiding wastage.
P Retrofit  Retrofit options can be used in buildings for saving electricity.

LED lamps
 11

Guideline

Design energy-efficient space conditioning in commercial buildings

HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning) systems account for 60%–80% of the energy used
in commercial buildings. An efficient system design has the potential to save 20%–30% energy over a
conventional design.
P Spaces that need air conditioning should be delineated. While designing functional layout of buildings,
air-conditioned spaces should be reduced. Spaces that are not frequently occupied, like corridors,
atrium, lobbies, toilets, stores, and so on, may not be air conditioned.
P The inside and outside designs of buildings should be in accordance with the National Building Code,
2005.
P Refrigerant used in air conditioners should be free of chlorofluorocarbons.
P All heating and cooling equipment should meet the minimum efficiency requirements, as specified in the
ECBC (Energy Conservation Building Code), 2007.
P The minimum fresh air required in a mechanically ventilated or air-conditioned spaces should be as
recommended in the National Building Code, 2005.
P Pipework and ductwork insulation as per the ECBC, 2007, to be followed.

Towards energy-efficient HVAC systems

P Reduce cooling load by controlling unwanted heat gain  External heat gains can be avoided by
architectural designs, light-coloured building surfaces, vegetation, and high performance glazing, while
internal heat gains can be reduced by using efficient HVAC equipment and direct venting of spot heat
sources. Load reduction saves energy and, thus, cost.
P Expand the comfort envelope with reduced radiant heat load, increased air flow, less insulated
furniture, and more appropriate dress  These have the potential to save 20%–30% of remaining loads.
P Optimizing the delivery system  Huge savings are possible from reducing the velocity, pressure, and
friction losses in ducts and piping.
P Apply non-vapour compression cooling
techniques  Examples include natural ventilation, Condenser
water pump
Cooling tower
ground-coupled cooling, night sky cooling, and
evaporation cooling. They typically use 20%–30% Fan
Cool
as much energy per unit cooling as conventional Water

cooling equipment.
Chiller
P Serve the remaining load with high efficiency
refrigerate cooling  More efficient chillers, pumps, Air Very cool
Water
and fans, multiplexed chillers, low friction duct
layout and sizing, low pressure drops in air handling
and piping components, and overall optimization of
Chilled water
the entire HVAC system will further help in making pump
Air-handling unit
cooling coil
system more efficient.
Courtesy: E source; adapted from EPA
P Use of economizers/energy recovery wheel
Economizers are mechanical devices that reduce
energy consumption or perform other useful Chiller system in a central HVAC plant
functions like preheating a fluid. In simple term, an
economizer is a heat exchanger. It could be air-side or water-side.
v Air-side economizer  It can save energy in buildings by using cool outside air for cooling the indoor
space. It also improves indoor air quality.
v Water-side economizer  It uses water cooled by a wet cooling tower to cool buildings, without
operating a chiller.
P Improve control  Through better algorithms, sensors, signal delivery, user interface, simulators, and
other measures. Use of variable frequency drives in fans and pumps can save significant amount of
energy.
12

Guideline

Use BEE-labelled equipment and appliances in all new buildings and

replace or retrofit the existing equipment with BEE-labelled equipment
Labelled appliance
P Energy consumption by products manufactured by various manufacturers varies.
P Often, information on the energy consumption by a product is not easily available
or is difficult to understand.
P This gap in information may lead to excessive use of energy.
P In case of confusion, it is always better to use a labelled appliance.
P An appliance is generally rated based on its performance and energy consumption.

Advantages of using labelled products

P The energy rating label helps consumers compare energy efficiency of domestic
appliances on a fair and equitable basis and make an informed decision.
P Manufacturers, in turn, vie with each other to improve their products.
P Labelled products perform better.
P Labelled products are generally energy efficient.
P Better performing and energy-efficient appliances with clean
technology have minimal environmental impacts.

Star performance
P The rating of appliances in India is done by the BEE. BEE star label for appliances
P Labelled appliances carry the symbol of stars.
P The higher the number of stars, the more efficient the product is.
P For example, a BEE 3-star rated 1.5-tonne window AC (air conditioner) would consume 2800 units of
electricity in a year compared to an inefficient unrated AC of the same size, which would consume
3625 units in a year.
P An efficient 3-star 1.5-tonne AC would cost about Rs 21000, while an unrated AC of the same size
would cost Rs 15000. The price difference would vanish in a little over one year due to savings in the
electricity bill.

Efficient installation and usage of room ACs

Following points should be kept in mind while using an AC.
P While installing an AC, it should be ensured that the exterior, or back, is not exposed to direct sunlight
and is away from heat sources like chimney.
P Appliances such as TVs, computers or lamps should be kept away from the AC.
P The temperature (thermostat) of the AC should be set higher to reduce energy consumption.
P Regular maintenance of ACs improves their efficiency.

Efficient refrigerators
P The cost of running a refrigerator is several times the initial purchase price. So, more efficient model
should be bought.
P Smaller models will obviously use less energy than larger models.
P Models with top- or bottom-mounted freezers use, on an average, 12% less energy than side-by-side
designs.
P Features like through-the-door ice, chilled water or automatic ice-makers increase the energy
consumption, purchase price, and energy use.
P A 5-star rated refrigerator does cost more initially compared to, say, a 2-star refrigerator, but its cost
of operation over the years is less due to better design and insulation.
 13

Guideline

Solar water heating systems for domestic and commercial buildings

P Solar water heating systems should be provided for residential, commercial, and institutional buildings.
P These water heating systems will be required to meet a minimum of 20% of water heating needs on an
annual basis.
P Insulation on pipelines should be provided as per norms.
P To reduce water wastage, water recirculating pumps should be provided in
high-rise buildings.

Solar water heating: some facts and figures

P A solar water heater uses the energy of the sun to heat water, which is used for
various applications like bathing, washing, cooking, and other chores.
P A domestic water heater with a capacity of 100 lpd (litres per day) caters to
a family of four or five members.
P It can easily replace a 2-kW electric geyser and can save up to 1500 units of Solar water heater
electricity in a year.
P It recovers its cost in three to five years, depending on the electricity tariff and hot water used in a year.
P After this, water is available almost free of cost for the remaining lifespan of the system, which is 15–20 years.
P The cost of the water heater with a capacity of 100 lpd ranges between Rs 18 000 and Rs 25 000.
P The overall potential of solar water heating in India is estimated to be 140 million m2. Of this, about
1 million m2 of solar collector area has been realized.

Components of a solar water heating system

A solar water heating system comprises of solar collectors, insulated hot water tank, back-up system,
plumbing (galvanized iron pipes and fittings), and controls and instruments (valves, temperature gauge,
thermostatic controller).

Types of solar water heating system

P Thermo siphon-type solar hot water system for capacities
of up to 2000 lpd.
P Forced flow solar hot water system for capacities higher
than 2000 lpd.

Guidelines for design, installation, and use

of solar water heating systems
P Solar collector should face true south for collecting Schematic diagram explaining the functioning of a SWH
maximum solar radiation.
P The tilt of the solar collector should be equal to the latitude of the place, which will ensure the
collection of maximum annual energy. Tilt equal to +15º gives maximum energy collection in winter,
while that equal to –15º gives maximum energy collection in summer.
P The load-carrying capacity of the roof should be checked before installing the system.

Guidelines for system selection and use

P The hardness of the water to be used in solar heating systems should be checked to avoid blockage of
small diameter pipes of the solar collector due to the deposition of salts.
P The location and layout of the heating system should be finalized at the building design stage, which will
reduce cost and heat loss due to long pipes.
P Good quality pipes and insulation and a continuous supply of water should be ensured for efficient and
trouble-free operations.
P When not in use, solar collectors should be covered with opaque covers to avoid the overheating of the
heating system.
14

Guideline

Perform mandatory energy audit for existing commercial buildings

with connected load in cases of 500 kW or 600 kVA, and reduce energy
expenditure over previous year

Benefits of energy audit

P It indicates the ways in which different forms of energy are being used and quantify energy use
according to discrete functions.
P It seeks to prioritize energy uses according to the greatest to least cost-effective opportunities for
energy savings.
P It helps in achieving reduction in the energy costs by proper utilization of the existing equipment and
systems.
P It gives a positive orientation to the energy cost reduction, preventive maintenance, and quality control
programmes, which are vital for production and utility activities.
P It leads to reduced adverse environmental impacts, as there will be reduction in the emission of
greenhouse gases.

Auditing energy consumption in a building

Energy demand and consumption in a building can be identified using following steps.
P Data collection  On annual energy bills, fuel bills, total built up area (m2), and air conditioned
area (m2).
P Analysis  Of establishing energy performance index (kWh/m2-year), which is a measuring tool to
evaluate the performance of the building in terms of the total energy consumption (kWh) and the total
built-up area (m2) and SEGR (specific energy generation ratio), which is a measuring tool to evaluate the
performance of diesel generators.
P Observations and recommendations  On comments on the energy performance of the building, on
diesel generator performance, and tariff rate.
P Energy conservation measures  Improving SEGR of diesel generators, analysing the scope of reducing
the existing operating consumption (kWh) of the building by installing energy-efficient systems.

Auditing electrical system

P Data collection  On the main source of electricity for the building and its single line diagram.
P Measurement  Of building load for two days and operating load of LT motors.
P Analysis  Of motor loading (%), voltage, and power factor at transformer.
P Observation and recommendation  On the power factor, motor loading percentage, transformer losses,
and voltage imbalance among the three phases.
P Energy conservation measures  Maintaining power factor by installing capacitor banks, identifying
motors on the basis of their loading rates and balancing loads.

Auditing lighting system

P Data collection  On lighting source.
P Measurement  Of illumination level and lighting load (kW).
P Analysis  Of lighting consumption (kWh) and lighting power density (W/m2).
P Observation and recommendation  On maintained visual comfort and measured lighting power density
(W/m2).
P Energy conservation measures  Selecting proper fixture and integrating daylighting with artificial
lighting and using automatic lighting control devices.
 COMFORT

T
he primary function of the building envelope is to protect the occupants
of the building from the heat of the sun and rains, and provide a congenial
environment for work and leisure. To achieve this, it is almost always
essential to provide energy-consuming space-conditioning and lighting
devices. To reduce energy demand, it is necessary that the design
measures adopted should result in the reduction in space conditioning, lighting, and
service water heating loads. The first step towards reducing energy demand is to
integrate suitable bio-climatic design principles while designing the macroclimate
and microclimate of the site. The climatic design varies from one climate zone to the
other. India has six climatic zones representing varying climatic conditions, ranging
from extreme cold conditions in the cold desert of Leh, Ladakh, to extreme hot and
dry conditions in Rajasthan. A building designed for hot climate should have features
to reduce solar gain, like smaller window size, shaded walls, minimum exposure to
west and east directions, use of external wall and roof insulation, or design elements
like solar chimneys, wind towers, and so on to maximize ventilation. Hyderabad is in
a predominantly hot and dry climate, and hence, water-based features also aid in the
cooling of spaces.
16

Guideline

Thermal comfort
Provide thermal comfort (for air-conditioned and naturally ventilated spaces) as per
the National Building Code, 2005

Defining the term

ASHRAE defines thermal comfort in layman’s term as the state of mind that expresses satisfaction with the
surrounding environment. More technically, it is that condition of the environment under which a person
can maintain the body heat balance at normal body temperature, without sweating. It depends on various
environmental and physiological factors, as listed below.
Environmental factors
P  Dry bulb temperature
P Mean radiant temperature
P Relative humidity
P Air movement
Physiological factors
P Metabolic rate
P Clothing level

Exhaust of hot and stale air for better thermal comfort

Thermal comfort in buildings
In India, according to the National Building Code, 2005, thermal comfort of a person lies between 25 ºC
and 30 ºC. Providing thermal comfort in this range to occupants is a challenge for building designers. Most
buildings use air-conditioning systems to achieve thermal comfort, which consume a lot of energy. The
green and energy-efficient buildings with tangible benefits use passive cooling and natural ventilation to
achieve thermal comfort. Ventilation requirement could be met through natural ventilation, mechanical
ventilation, and mixed mode ventilation.

Some building design guidelines

Natural ventilation 
P Maximize wind-induced ventilation by orienting the longer façade of the building towards predominant
wind direction.
P Buildings should be sited where obstructions for summer winds are minimum.
P Naturally ventilated buildings should have a narrow floor width.
P Inlet openings should be located on the windward side at a low level, while outlet openings should be
located on the leeward side at a higher level, to maximize stack effect.
P Window openings should be operable by occupants.
P To enhance airflow between the rooms, open interior doors should be designed.
P To get rid of the stale air, clerestories, or vented skylights, can be used.
Mechanical ventilation
P Ceiling fans are used for inducing air motion for comfort. To optimize the power consumption and
comfort, correct number and location of fans with respect to room size should be determined.
P Exhaust fans are used in kitchens, bathrooms, stores to replace stale air with fresh air.
Mixed mode ventilation
P Mixed mode involves strategies combining natural ventilation with mechanical ventilation. In this
approach, buildings can smoothly function as air-conditioned buildings as well as naturally ventilated
buildings with passive concepts.
Passive cooling techniques
P Passive cooling techniques involve strategies or design features to achieve comfort with minimum or no
usage of power. Wind-induced ventilation, passive downdraught cooling, evaporative cooling, and earth
air tunnels can be used to cool buildings.
 17

Guideline

Visual comfort through daylight

Glare-free daylight integration in buildings through proper planning of windows, with
respect to position, area, and shape, to achieve daylight factor as recommended by BIS.

Advantages of daylight
P  In a typical air-conditioned building, artificial lights account for approximately
30% of the total electricity demand. This demand can be reduced considerably by
integrating natural daylight during the daytime.
P  Working in daylight will be easy on eyes and will increase productivity.
Day lighted zone
Following factors help in accomplishing daylighting in a building.

Room characteristics
P  Rooms facing north receive fairly constant, indirect daylight and rooms facing south receive bright,
direct sunlight all the year. So, a room should be constructed in such a way that it is illuminated by both
direct and indirect sunlight.
P  Rooms with windows on two sides get maximum daylight.
P  For good light penetration, the depth of rooms adjacent to the daylight source should be kept relatively
small.
P  The internal and external finish of a building should be light in colour, as light-coloured surfaces reflect
more light.

Window design
P  The higher the window head, the deeper will be the penetration of daylight.
P  Strip windows provide more uniform daylight.
P  Big windows close to task areas should be avoided, as they may heat up the
place.
P  Separate apertures for view and daylight should be used.

Glazing type
P  Single glazing gives the best daylight, while double glazing gives 20% less sunlight. External shades help cut
P  Tinted glazing has low visibility, thus it cuts out daylight. direct sunlight, reduce glare
P  An ideal spectrally selective glazing admits only that part of the sun’s energy and heat gain
that is useful for daylighting.
P  A good glazing for daylighting with a relatively high visible
transmittance will appear transparent from outside.

Shading devices
P  External moving shading device is the most effective, as it cuts off
direct sunlight during summer.
P  With proper adjustment, an internal shading device allows indirect
sunlight to enter inside. However, it is not preferred, as it does not
keep solar heat out.
Light pipes should be used
for better interior daylighting
Innovative daylighting system
P  Light shelves protect occupants from direct sunlight in summers and allow sufficient light in winter.
P  Fixed and movable louvers are preferred options for integration of diffuse daylight.
P  Skylight adds natural lighting to dull, dark, and deep rooms.
P  Light pipes transport daylight through thick roof structures and attics.
18

Guideline

Use of low VOC paints/adhesives/sealants

Use internal finishes with zero or low VOC (volatile organic compound) content, less
than the defined limits

Adverse impacts of VOCs

Building materials such as paints, sealants, and adhesives are used as finishing agents for the exterior and
interior surfaces. However, they lead to poor air quality and can have adverse impacts on the health of
the occupants and can also be odorous. A wide variety of volatiles are released by both solvent-based and
water-based paints through oxidation. Sealants and adhesives contain toxic chemicals that are released
during construction and occupancy.

Effects on the environment

P VOCs are divided into methane and non-methane compounds.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and contributes to global
warming. This does not mean that non-methane compounds are
safe. Even they are harmful pollutants, as they prolong the life of
methane in the atmosphere.
P Some VOCs react with nitrogen oxides in the air in the presence of
sunlight to form ozone. Higher ozone concentration at ground level
causes damage to crops and buildings, and other health hazards.
P VOCs are responsible for deteriorating air quality inside a building,
causing sick building syndrome.
P VOCs also result in foul odour.
Low-VOC paints
Effects on health
VOCs, especially formaldehydes and urethanes, contained within the building materials can be injurious to
health. They can cause conjunctival irritation, nose and throat discomfort, headache, allergic skin reaction,
and so on.

Guidelines on using paints/adhesives/sealants

P Water-based acrylics, rather than solvent-based oil paints, should be used.
P All sealants and adhesives used should be water based rather than solvent based or should have low
solvent content.
P Most construction adhesives should be characterized by adequate bond strengths in water.
P Acrylics, silicones, and siliconized acrylics are the safest sealants to use in the interiors and have the
lowest solvent content.
P Solvent-based products such as urethanes and butyls should preferably not be used indoors.
P Adhesives usually have high VOC emission potential. Hence, adhesives such as acrylics or phenolic resins
should be used, which have low or no VOC emission. Phenol formaldehyde can also be used indoors.
P It should be ensured that composite wood products/agri-fibre products do not contain any added urea
formaldehyde resin.
 19

Guideline

Outdoor and indoor noise levels

P Outdoor and indoor noise levels should be maintained as recommended by the
National Building Code, 2005.
P Appropriate noise control measures should be taken for ensuring acceptable
outdoor and indoor noise levels so as to enhance comfort.
P Ambient standards of noise for different types of establishments should be adhered
to. For example, daytime limit for noise in a residential area, an industrial area,
and a silence zone (like hospitals, educational institutions, and so on) is 55 dB,
75 dB, and 50 dB, respectively.

Guidelines to attenuate noise

Various measures can be adopted indoors and outdoors to control noise levels.

Outdoor
200 feet
P Zoning Town planning authorities can undertake zoning of
different areas in a city, taking into account, besides other
aspects, noise levels in different zones and establishments.
Significant noise reduction
Some buildings and establishments are particularly
vulnerable to noise, like recording and radio studios,
hospitals, and research laboratories.
P Green belts and landscaping Thick belts of planting are of
No noise reduction (psychological)
particular importance in combating noise pollution. Strong
leafy trees should be planted. Shrubs or creepers may
also be planted along with trees. Hard paving should be Dense vegetation helps reduce noise levels
avoided, and plantation should be grown to effectively cut-off noise.
P Highway noise barriers Barriers are often the most effective
means of reducing traffic noise around residential areas. These barriers can be in the form of free-
standing walls, artificial mounds, and so on. Even multi-storeyed dwellings and garages block noise.

Indoor
P Internal planning A building should be designed and
oriented in such a way so as to reduce noise. The Bright zone Shadow zone

non-critical areas, such as corridors, elevators, and

Diffracted sound
bathrooms, should be located on the noisy side, and
Barrier
the critical areas should be located on the quiet side.
P Windows and doors Windows and doors should be built Receiver

in such a way that they face away from the noisy side. Noise
source
Windows of noisy and quiet rooms should not open Figure 1: The barrier blocks the direct path from the noise source to the receiver. A shadow
zone is created behind the barrier, in which listeners are protected from the noise. However,
on the same side. For critical quiet spaces, insulated sound can still reach the receiver by sound diffraction at the top edge of the barrier.
glazing units should be used. Reduction of insulation
due to door opening between rooms and corridors
should be borne in mind. Use of noise barriers
P Walls and partitions Walls of appropriate thickness
reduce the transmission of noise through them.
P Sound absorbents Sound-absorbing materials can also be utilized to reduce the built-up or air-borne noise
at the source.
20

Guideline

Indoor air quality

P In air-conditioned spaces, fresh air requirement as per the NBC (National Building Code), 2005, shall be
achieved.
v Fresh air supply maintains non-odorous atmosphere and dilutes the CO2 exhaled.
v This quantity is usually quoted per person and is related to the occupant density and activity within
the space.
v The quantity and distribution of introduced fresh air should take into account the natural infiltration
of the building.
v The proportion of fresh air introduced into a building may be varied for economical operations.
P In non-air-conditioned spaces, minimum air changes per hour, as recommended by the NBC, should be
achieved.
v Fresh air is required for thermal comfort, to provide oxygen, and to maintain CO2 concentration.

Advantages of maintaining good air quality

P Maintaining air quality in a building ensures that the building does not suffer from sick building
syndrome, which is related to poor indoor air quality.
P Enough fresh air in the building leads to good health of occupants, which increases their productivity.

Towards ensuring good air quality

P The ventilation and air conditioning system installed in a building should clean and condition the air.
P Enough fresh air should be introduced to remove totally or dilute the odour, fumes, and so on.
P Local extract system should be used to remove contaminants or smell when air is recirculated.
P Air inlets and extracts to the system should be positioned carefully. Inlets should not be placed near any
flue outlet, kitchen, extraction outlet, and so on. Inlet openings should be placed at high levels to get
as much clean air as possible.
P Particulate matter should be removed from air by using an efficient air filtration system. Air intake
locations should be placed properly.
P Fumes and smell may be removed from the air by physical or chemical processes.
P Tobacco and smoke can be controlled by putting health strategies in place, such as prohibiting smoking
in indoor areas or providing designated smoking zones with separate ventilation systems.

Indoor plants used to

improve indoor air quality

Picture sources:
http://www.buyflower.com.sg/main/images/BF0547E_Tall_Fortune.jpg
http://www.evergrowing.com/tips/images/arecapalm.jpg
http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/zippy_1020274113_63.jpg
 WATER

W
ater is one of the basic requirements of any habitat. Hyderabad is
endowed with a number of natural and artificial lakes and tanks.
So, ideally, the state should be able to meet the increasing water
demand to a great extent. However, the situation is just the opposite.
The state is facing severe water crisis due to increasing demand as a
result of rapidly increasing population and changing lifestyles. The existing lakes and
tanks are not able to provide sufficient water, as encroachments into lake beds and
catchment areas have reduced their storage capacity.
To add to this problem of water scarcity, the water supply system has many
drawbacks: the hours of water supply are limited; network coverage is partial and
there are very few piped connections; per capita water supply is as low as 90 lpcd
(litres per capita per day); meters are not functional; and water loss is very high.
Adopting water conservation practices, increasing awareness on water conservation
amongst city dwellers, using rainwater harvesting system, recycling water, and ensuring
proper maintenance for removing leakages would eventually lead to a reduction in
water demand. By using low-flow fixtures and adopting xeriscaping, water demand in
buildings can be reduced by up to 40%. Rainwater harvesting can reduce the demand
for potable drinking water by almost 80%.
In order to implement such potential water conservation measures, water-related
EBRGs have been developed as per the framework described below.
P Reducing water demand in new buildings by reducing wastage and increasing
efficiency internally and externally by adopting suitable design and ensuring
optimal operation.
P Reducing water demand in existing buildings by encouraging retrofitting.
P Ensuring high standards of drinking water quality by recommending appropriate
water treatment systems.
P Suggesting alternative supply through rainwater harvesting and waste water
recycling (these guidelines are under sewage and storm water sections).
22

Guideline

Water conserving fittings

The consumption of potable water in all new buildings has to be
reduced by adopting following measures.
P At least 25% reduction in water consumption should be
achieved from all sources, including borewell, by using water-
efficient fittings, as calculated using the water consumption
calculator.
P Uniform pressure, restricted to 25–30 m head, or 200 kPA,
An illustration of the various areas of
should be maintained by using the following.
water conservation in a house
v Separate distribution downtakes for each set of floors.
v Orifice flanges or pressure reducing valves.

Benefits
P Water saving fittings can save up to 40% of potable water in a typical four-member
household.
P Savings with individual fittings can be as indicated below.
v An old style single-flush toilet could use up to 12 litres of water per flush, while a
standard dual-flush toilet uses just a quarter of this on a half-flush.
v Use of electronic flushing system or magic eye sensor can further reduce the flow
of water to 0.4 litre per flush, and waterless urinals use no water.
v A standard showerhead may use up to 25 litres of water per minute, whereas
water-efficient showerhead might use as little as 7 litres of water per minute,
Water flow from
which is less than a third of that consumed by standard showerhead. conventional showerheads
v Showers with flow regulators or aerators can save up to 55% of water used could be 3 times higher
for showers. than that of a water
v Aerators can result in flow rates as low as 2 litres per minute, which is adequate efficient showerhead

for hand wetting purpose.

v Taps with flow regulators, IR sensors or aerators can save up to 63% of water used for washing.
v A water-efficient washing machine may use only one-third of the water used by an inefficient
model.

Water consumption calculator

The calculator can be used to calculate the following.
P Water saving potential of efficient fittings
P Water saving potential of native species and micro irrigation systems
P Water saving potential of grey water or waste water treatment and reuse
P Choosing grey water and waste water
systems based on treated water
usage
P Water saving potential of rainwater
collection and reuse
P Tank sizing for rainwater collection
tank
Various types of water
conserving fittings
 23

Guideline

Choose water filtration system based on the

quality of the water from a source
P Water purification and filtration systems to achieve required drinking
water quality have to be chosen based on the quality of supply water.
P If groundwater is used for drinking, water quality testing has to be
conducted. The water purification system will have to be designed
based on the requirements of the specific site.
Ensure water meets
drinking water standards
Importance of choosing the right water before use

purification system
Maintaining the quality of drinking water helps to ensure safe drinking water to
the consumer, and for this, both municipal and groundwater have to be treated.

Municipal water
P Requires treatment only for biological contamination to ensure safety.
P As simpler and cheaper treatment systems are sufficient to treat biological contamination, advance
treatment systems such as RO (reverse osmosis) and ion exchange systems are not only unnecessary for
treating municipal water but also expensive to install and maintain.

Groundwater
P If groundwater in Hyderabad is used for drinking without proper treatment, it could lead to health risks,
as shown in the detailed guideline (available on the website).
P Hence, advance systems such as RO and ion exchange systems have to be installed to ensure safe
drinking water.
P However, these treatment systems should be used to treat the quantity of water required for drinking
and cooking purposes only, in order to reduce wastage.

Principles of water purification

P Sedimentation  A process whereby suspended matter in water settles
down, which can be separated by straining.
P Filtration  The water is passed through the beds of fine granular materials
such as sand. Filtration helps in removing colour, odour, turbidity, and
pathogenic bacteria.
P Disinfection  The treatment destroys harmful bacteria and protozoa by
either killing them or making them inactive. Common methods used are
boiling, chlorination, ozonation, solar disinfection, and so on.
P Demineralization  Ion exchange, deionization, activated carbon filtration,
RO, and other treatment processes are employed for demineralization.
Water supplied by the utility is also
prone to biological contamination

Water quality testing

P Water can be tested in laboratories to check for pH, conductivity, hardness, and so on by using
sophisticated instruments like spectrophotometers, chromatographs, and so on.
P Apart from these laboratory tests, test kits are also available in the market, which can be used
anywhere in the field.
P Only when the TDS (total dissolved solid) levels in water cross the mark of 500 mg/l, making the water
taste brackish or khaara should you use an RO water purifier.
24

Guideline

Landscape water conservation

P If grey water recycling or waste water treatment is
undertaken on the site, the total landscape water
requirement per day should not exceed the total amount
of treated water available per day.
P If no grey water or waste water treatment is undertaken
on the site, the total landscape water requirement per
annum should not exceed the total amount of rainwater
collected per annum.
P If no grey water or waste water treatment or rainwater Sprinkler irrigation
collection is undertaken on-site, following should be kept
in mind.
v No more than 25% of the total vegetated area should be covered by lawns and exotic or
ornamental plants that require more water and high maintenance.
v At least 50% of the total landscaped area in the site should use water conserving vegetation using
native species.
v Efficient irrigation management techniques should be used to achieve 40% water savings in all sites
with vegetated area >50 m2.
(All the above as calculated using the landscape water calculator)

Beneficial aspects
P Judicious and efficient irrigation practices (like using drip irrigations and sprinkler methods) and
appropriate planting can reduce the use of irrigation water by 50%–70%.
P Planting native species and xeriscape vegetation ensures minimal maintenance and reduced water
requirement, promotes ecological balance, and enhances water quality.

Towards ideal landscaping

P Reducing water demand  Water demand in a landscape can be reduced by planting native and low
water consuming plants. This is called xeriscape.
P Xeriscape design  Xeriscape landscaping incorporates seven basic principles, which help in water
saving and conservation.
v Planning and design  A good design should be considered keeping existing structures,
plants, budget, water requirement, and other factors in mind.
v Soil analysis and preparation  Before undertaking planting, soil of the area should be
analysed. Organic matter should be added, if required.
v Appropriate plant selection  Native and drought-tolerant plants thrive the best in any
given landscape. Growth rate and size of the plants, and light, water, and temperature
needs should also be considered when designing the landscape.
v Mulching  A layer of non-living matter, or mulch, on the
soil conserves water, reduces weed population, prevents
soil compaction, and keeps soil temperature moderate.
v Watering  The greatest waste of water is applying
too much too often.The key to
watering lawns is to apply water
infrequently, yet thoroughly.
v Efficient irrigation system  A
combination of drip and sprinkler
irrigation methods should
be used for watering plants in a
landscape. Xeriscape, native vegetation and effective
irrigation – keys to water conservation in
landscape
 25

Guideline

Water audit for existing buildings

P All buildings/layout with water consumption >10 million litres per year should
v undertake water audit by a certified water auditor and
v show a water saving of at least 30%, when compared to water
consumption identified in the audit or when compared to the NBC
standards, whichever is lower.
P A water audit report must broadly contain the following aspects.
v Amount of municipal water available and total water utilized, including
that from other sources.
v Water losses and efficiency of the system along with reasons for losses.
Typical division of water use for
v Measures to check water losses and improve efficiency. various activities in a building
v Water saving potential through rainwater collection and reuse.
v Analysis of physical and economic feasibility of introducing a rainwater harvesting system.
v Water saving potential through waste water/grey water recycling and reuse.
v Physical and economic feasibility of introducing grey water/waste water recycling system.
P All existing buildings can calculate their water consumption and water saving potential through
efficient fittings, rainwater harvesting, and grey water recycling using a water calculation tool.

Overview of water audit

Water audit is an important initiative toward understanding a building’s water use and how it
can be reduced.
P It reviews water use from its point of entry into the building through its discharge into
the sewer.
P It identifies each point of water use within and around the building and estimates the
quantity of water used at each of these areas.
P It examines all the major aspects in which a building uses water, including sanitation, Every drop of water
maintenance, mechanical systems, building processes, and landscaping. saved is money
saved

Advantages of water auditing

Water audit is the assessment of the quantity of water and involves calculating water use, identifying
losses, and assessing methods for saving water. Conducting water audit leads to both tangible as well
as non-tangible benefits, as listed below
P Improves the knowledge and documentation of the distribution system and also the problems and
risks associated with it.
P Provides a better understanding of what is happening to the water after it leaves the
source point.
P Gives a detailed profile of the distribution system and water users, thereby
facilitating easier and effective management of resources, with improved reliability.
P Helps in the realistic understanding and assessment of the present performance level
and efficiency of the service.
P Saves money by reducing water bills or sewer bills.
P Helps reduce water usage by about 30% by implementing simple conservation measures.
 STORM WATER

S
torm water management, though an intrinsic component of the urban
environmental management, is generally neglected in India. Storm water
management in Hyderabad involves both natural and man-made drains
and waterbodies. The entire surface run-off finally finds its way into the
River Musi and many surrounding lakes. Storm water drains in Hyderabad
are constructed and maintained by the municipal corporation and other urban local
bodies. Normally, storm water management is carried out only when there is a need.
Although fresh water resources are scarce in Hyderabad, it witnesses heavy floods
during monsoons. The precipitation discharge system in Hyderabad is poor, covering
only 30% of the area. The existing system is unable to carry the total precipitation to
discharge points, as it is designed only for 12 mm/hour rainfall as against an average
of 23 mm/hour of rainfall and a peak rainfall of 52 mm/hour that the state receives.
The natural drainage has been affected due to various reasons, leading to frequent
flooding of low-lying areas. The natural water courses have been illegally encroached
upon. Land use planning is not concomitant with natural drainage patterns, which
has led to the illegal encroachment of lakes. There are no regulations that mandate
storm water management on site. Also, increased impervious and concrete areas have
resulted in an increase in run-off, leading to flooding and, thus, unhygienic environs.
Haphazard development is also responsible for the storm water drainage problems
in the city, thus necessitating integrating management measures into the existent
practices. The various measures for managing the storm water run-off are listed
below.
P Natural drainage and channel management
P Catchment area management
P Storm water run-off reduction on-site
P Groundwater recharge

A broad framework for developing the guideline on implementation measures has

been drafted, as outlined below.
P Adherence to site contours
P Planning specifically to reduce the impact of storm water on lake
catchments
P On-site sustainable urban drainage systems
P Rainwater harvesting

Thus, the EBRGs for sustainable storm water drainage

have been developed to guide the stakeholders
towards improved drainage management.
28

Guideline

Adherence to natural site contours and lake

catchment area conservation
This is applicable to projects having the following site development
features.
P Sites with area equal to or greater than 500 m2 for commercial,
institutional or residential development.
P Sites less than 500 m2 for developing a single residential unit,
involving 100 m2 or more of gross area of disturbance. Lakes are fed by drainage contours
P Site disturbance includes disturbance for building as well as landscaping. in their catchments

Following regulations shall be applicable in such areas.

P No disturbance, grading of land or stripping of vegetation shall be permitted on slopes of 25% or steeper.
Any proposed disturbance for roadway crossings or utility construction shall require variance application
and approval. Roads and driveways shall follow the natural topography to the greatest extent possible
to minimize the cutting and grading of critical slope areas.
P The maximum disturbance allowed in slope areas between 20.0% and 24.9% shall be 10%; in slope areas
between 15.0% and 19.9%, 20%; and in slope areas between 0 and 14.9%, 25%.
P Site design and grading on slopes greater than 15% shall preserve significant natural topographic
features to the greatest extent possible, including ridgelines.
P Except in cases where permission is sought from urban forestry departments of the HMDA/GHMC, no
trees with a diameter at breast height of 10 inches or more shall be removed from the area with slopes
greater than 15%.

Deterioration of lakes
Lakes in Hyderabad are in a decrepit state because of the following construction-induced reasons.
P Human settlements, infrastructure development, encroachment, and effluent release have caused
degradation of lakes.
P Construction activity increases the imperviousness, which, in turn, increases run-off, thus leading to
flash floods/waterlogging.
P Interference with the natural drainage pattern of storm water leads to waterlogging during the short
spells of rain in the catchment neighbourhoods.
P Flow of silt from stored construction materials and quarrying rocks in the catchment areas reduces the
water-holding capacity and infiltration rate of the lakes.

Benefits of preserving lakes

Prior to commissioning any construction project, the site and its contours, in the context of the local
catchment area, need to be understood. The design of the structure should be in harmony with the natural
topography, so that there are no major changes in the drainage pattern. This consideration will reap the
following benefits.
P The storm water run-off will not encounter any obstruction
and will flow directly into the lake, drastically reducing water-
logging and flash floods during monsoons in the low-lying areas.
P Adhering to norms recommending development only till a
certain distance of lake will help in reviving lakes.
P Water scarcity problems can be addressed by reviving lakes.
P Habitat for the natural flora and fauna of the region will be
restored.

Lakes - the regional storm water management instruments of Hyderabad are being encroached upon
 29

Guideline

Integrated implementation of sustainable urban Filter strips and

drainage systems, or SUDS retention ponds
work well in specific
P Sustainable urban drainage systems, or SUDS, with an integrated locations
approach shall be implemented to manage storm water on-site to
achieve 40% reduction in volume generated after construction
development.
P Sites with areas less than 10 000 m2 shall implement rainwater
harvesting and infiltration techniques, while larger sites (with area
greater that 10 000 m2) shall implement other SUDS techniques in
combination with smaller techniques.
P Open sites, where construction development has not been
planned, shall also implement SUDS/storm water drainage.

Advantages of SUDS
Green roofs are instruments of SUDS
P SUDS manage storm water run-off on-site effectively by reducing the and indoor thermal comfort
impacts of urbanization on drainage patterns and infrastructure.
P SUDS enhance run-off water quality by reducing pollutant concentration in the storm water at the source.
P SUDS lead to groundwater recharge and enhance the site aesthetics. They also reduce the problems that
arise due to the storage of stagnant water.

An overview of SUDS
SUDS include water quantity, water quality, and amenity aspects to achieve efficient storm water
management at the source of generation, that is, on-site. The aim of SUDS is to replicate, as closely as
possible, the natural drainage mechanism of a site.
P Planning and design  It requires multidisciplinary approach involving considerations of many factors like
landscaping and planning, ecology, groundwater, topography, geological profile, local climate, and so on.
P Source control and prevention techniques  These techniques are
used to counter increased discharge from developed sites and
reduce the volume of water discharged directly to a river.
P Pavements  Permeable pavement using gravel, grass pavers,
grasscrete or concrete blocks is an alternative to conventional
paving in which water permeates instead of draining off.
P Green roofs  Green roofs reduce the water running off the roof.
Green roofs built with the most appropriate base and vegetation
have the potential to absorb 15%–90% of roof run-off.
P Rainwater harvesting  Rainwater can be stored and reused, which,
in turn, reduces the site storm water run-off volume and rate.
P Infiltration devices  These comprise infiltration trenches and infiltration basins, which store storm
water run-off until it gradually infiltrates through the soil.
P Permeable conveyance systems  These transport run-off water slowly towards a receiving watercourse,
allowing storage, filtration, and some loss of run-off.
P Passive treatment systems  These use natural processes like filter strips, detention ponds, retention
ponds, and wetlands to remove and break down pollutants present in surface water run-off.

Constraints
P Integrated SUDS require more space than conventional drainage systems to operate effectively.
P Infiltration devices may not work efficiently where
v soil is not permeable,
v water table is shallow, and
v there is land contamination.
30

Guideline

Permeable paving and heat island

P The total paved area of the site under parking, roads, paths
Grass Pavers with
or any oth er use should not exceed 25% of site area or net rootzone fill
and grass cover
imperviousness of the unbuilt areas in the site should not go Consolidated
beyond the imperviousness factor as prescribed by the National rootzone
Geotextile
Building Code of India, 2005, whichever is more stringent. filter
High void
P At least 50% of the paved area should be provided with pervious content
aggregate
paving or should be planted with vegetation. sub-base/
storage
P To reduce urban heat island effect, at least 50% of the paved layer
area, including parking, should be shaded by a vegetated roof
Tensar SS30G
or pergola with planters or coated with white cement or white geocomposite
Subgrade
paint. soil

Disadvantages of hard paving

Typical section showing layers of a
P Hard paving decreases infiltration of water during rains, increasing grass paving course
storm water run-off and causing waterlogging in low-lying areas.
P Hard paved surfaces are generally coated with asphalt and concrete, which absorb solar radiation and
raise the temperature of the surroundings. This leads to ‘heat-islands’ in built-up areas, increasing the
use of air conditioners and power consumption in general.

Alternatives
P Hard paving can be replaced with porous or permeable paving, which allows a portion of storm water
to infiltrate through void surfaces, reducing the run-off volumes.
P Alternatively, grass paving can be used, which provides greenery and reduces the ambient
temperature of the surroundings. This would prevent the development of ‘heat island effect’ on-site,
indirectly reducing the consumption of energy.
P Permeable paving and grass paving can be combined with planting trees and shrubs in the vicinity,
which will further cool the environment and help in groundwater recharge.

Points to keep in mind while constructing permeable/grass pavements

P Permeable pavement construction should be preferably executed at the end of all the on-site
construction works to prevent clogging from construction waste/run-off.
P Adequate infiltration with temporary sub-surface storage for the storm water should be provided.
P Construction techniques that would minimize the compaction of subsoil so that water flows through it
easily should be applied.
P Clogging agents like sediments, oils, and greases should be prevented from reaching
the permeable pavement surface.
P Deep-rooted grass species should be used in grass paving.
P Permeable pavement is not suited for high-traffic areas. Similarly, grass pavers are
not suitable for everyday, all day parking because the grass will get
insufficient sunlight.

Maintenance measures
P Post signs identifying porous/permeable pavement
areas.
P Clean the surface regularly, preferably using vacuum
sweeping machines.
P Inspect the surface frequently for any deterioration of
permeability.
Various options of
P Grass pavers may require periodic reseeding. permeable paving
 31

Guideline

Rainwater harvesting for recharge and reuse

Rooftop rainwater
P All new buildings with a potential to save 10% or more (to be calculated
using the water consumption calculator) of their potable water demand
through rainwater collection and reuse have to construct a rainwater
collection system.
P The rainwater harvesting system for collection and reuse should be
constructed with adequate collection, filtration, storage, and disinfection A typical rainwater collection tank fed
from the roof
systems in place. Refer to detailed guideline available on the website.

Un-built or open site area run-off

P If the saving potential is less than 10%, the rooftop rainwater collected should be diverted into
a percolation pit. Rainwater collected in the open unbuilt site area should also be diverted to a
percolation pit.
P Percolation pit should be of appropriate dimensions and layered as per the guidance notes provided
in the detailed guideline.
P Percolation pits should be maintained in order to ensure that their percolation capacities do not diminish.

Benefits of rainwater harvesting

P 68 400 litres of rainwater can be collected from a roof area of 1000 square feet per annum in
Hyderabad. This can cover the water requirements of a four-member household for 90 days in a
year, reducing the dependence on municipal water by as much as 25%.
P It is a cheap source of water, as the water is practically free. The only costs
involved are those of constructing and maintaining collection system.
P The water has zero hardness, which helps prevent scale on appliances,
extending their use. Water softeners can, hence, be avoided. It is also a
superior source for landscaping.
P Rainwater is sodium-free, thus good for people on a low-sodium diet.
Rainwater percolating into the ground through percolation pits has been
known to improve groundwater levels.
A rainwater harvesting pit
being installed P This increase in level lessens the energy required for pumping and also helps
recharge fresh water lakes.
P Rainwater harvesting reduces the volume of storm water flowing on to roads and nallahs,
thus reducing the flooding of the city during monsoons. This will also lessen road and soil
erosion and water pollution, thus improving the quality of the environment to a great
extent during monsoons.

From where to harvest rain

P Rooftops  Buildings with impervious roofs are good collection
points. Any roofing can be used for collecting rainwater for non-
drinking purpose. For potable water, metal, clay, and cement roofs
should be used. Lead and asbestos should not be used.
P Storm water run-off  Rainwater generally flows as run-off into
rivers and seas. This water can be collected into a catchment area
by constructing proper channels.

A RWH pit recharging the aquifer from

a multi-storied building
 SEWAGE

A
n efficient sewerage system is often an indicator of the good hygiene
in an urban centre. Indian cities, in general, are characterized by an
improper and inefficient sewerage system, and Hyderabad is no exception
to this. The existing sewerage system for the twin cities of Hyderabad
and Secunderabad was designed to serve an area of about 54 km2 and
a population of only about 468 000. The implementing authorities are focusing on
increasing the treatment capacity of the existing sewerage system by bringing more
and more area under its ambit. Currently, a very small percentage of the sewage
generated by the cities is reaching the STPs (sewage treatment plants). Since the
sewage treatment facilities at present are inadequate, a large quantity of untreated
sewage is discharged into waterbodies. Often, sewage drains also carry storm water
along with sewage, thereby, getting flooded.
Various measures can be taken up to manage the problem of sewage generation
and treatment. Centralized STPs can be maintained and monitored better and have
the advantage of economies of scale during operation. Although decentralized STPs
are unable to treat the sewage generated by all the buildings in an area, they are
required as a stop-gap arrangement, until the concerned authority implements its
master plan. Recycling grey water, installing dual plumbing systems, and carrying out
continuous O&M (operation and maintenance) enable efficient sewage management.
O&M contracts will enable better maintenance of decentralized STPs and increase the
reuse potential of treated waste water.
A review of the Indian as well as international best practices in sewage management
was undertaken to develop a suitable framework for EBRGs for managing sewage for
Hyderabad as outlined below
P Though centralized STPs are preferred, decentralized STPs should be used till such
STPs are operationalized.
P A waste water treatment system should be installed only where sewage network is
not available, otherwise grey water recycling is recommended.
P In all cases, a dual plumbing system for separating waste water and grey water and
using recycled water has to be installed so that waste water treatment systems can
also function as grey water treatment systems when required.
P Continuous O&M safeguards should be in place to enable
efficient waste water and sludge management.

By adopting these initiatives, buildings and

neighbourhood have the potential to efficiently
manage the sewage generated.
34

Guideline

Dual plumbing and waste water treatment

P If a site does not have access to a public sewer line and discharges
waste water, then Greywater Sources
v a waste water treatment system should be installed irrespective of
the scale and type of construction and
v at least 75% of the total treated water should be reused on-site.
P If a site has access to a public sewer line, following are Pre-treatment
recommended. Dispersion
v Grey water reuse potential to be determined. If potential savings Soil-box planter
Irrigation
on potable water due to reuse of treated grey water exceeds
20% (as calculated using the water consumption calculator), a Grey water source and
grey water treatment system is recommended. recycling technique
v At least 80% of the total treated grey water should be reused on-site.
P In all new buildings, dual plumbing systems should be installed irrespective of the type of waste water/
grey water system installed for separating grey water and black water and using treated waste water
for non-potable purpose.
P All large developments (>50 acres) must have ‘zero discharge’.

Benefits of dual plumbing system and grey

water treatment
P Water from toilets is called black water (sewage), while
water from laundry, kitchens, and baths is called grey water
(sullage).
P Grey water constitutes 70% of the waste water, which can
be treated by using simple and cost-effective systems and
can be reused for landscaping, external washing, and toilet
flushing. Reusing grey water can reduce the dependence on Reuse potential of treated
municipal and bore water by up to 60%. grey water
P Dual plumbing system separates grey water and black water
at the source of generation, following which specific treatment options either for grey or black water
can be adopted.
P Separating grey water and treating it onsite for reuse reduces the volume of the waste water to be
collected and treated and, hence, reduces the stress on public sewage lines and centralized waste
water treatment systems
P It is a sustainable approach for collection, treatment, and safe disposal of waste water, where buildings
are not connected to a public sewer line.
P Local aquifers can also be recharged with excess treated water.

Selecting treatment options for grey water

and waste water
P Treatment option has to be chosen based on reuse
application.
P The reuse applications for which treated water is to be used
efficiently without wastage can be calculated using a ‘water
calculation tool’.
P Please refer to the detailed guideline on the website for
further information on types of treatment options and their
applicability for different building uses. Applications of decentralized wastewater
treatment systems (DEWATS)
 35

Guideline

Operation and maintenance, or O&M,

requirements for decentralized waste water
systems
All decentralized waste water systems should be operated and maintained
by qualified personnel.
P One full-time trained employee should operate and conduct basic
maintenance of the system.
P A waste water installation and management company should check the
system on a monthly basis, performing the following functions.
v Checking water quality regularly to ensure that the treated water
meets the required standards for reuse and disposal. Dedicated service personnel
v Ensuring smooth operation by regular maintenance checks. are required for handling O&M
requirement
v Making water quality results known to public and authorities
concerned by bringing out reports and other such means.

What is O&M
P O&M (operation and management) refers to all activities required to operate and manage a treatment
system. It does not include planning and construction of a new system and retrofitting the existing one.
P Operation includes the planning and control of the collection, treatment, and disposal of waste water.
P Maintenance includes systematic routine actions and minor repairs and replacements to keep the system
in good working condition. This is called preventive maintenance.
P Reactive maintenance takes place as a result of serious damage to or malfunctioning or breakdown of
equipment.

Benefits of an efficient O&M system

P Consistency in the performance of the treatment system.
P 100% treatment efficiency.
P Providing good quality treated water consistently.
P Economical running of the system.
P Enhancement in the shelf life of the installed treatment system.
P Increased reuse and recycling potential of the treated discharge.
P Improvement in health and hygiene and enhanced quality of environment. Ensure smooth operation by
P No adverse impacts on the environment. regular maintenance

Compliance checklists and components of the manual

Compliance checklist Components of the manual

P Description of proposed waste water system P Background information

P Personnel responsibilities P Function, start-up, shutdown, and periodic
P Operation of facility maintenance procedures
P Maintenance P Appropriate option or system modification
P Sampling and laboratory testing P Monitoring programme for efficient process
P Records and reporting P Constituents and schedule for inspections
P Treatment works safety P Periodic maintenance procedures
P Utilities management P Procedures for routine maintenance and inspection
P Listing of other environmental regulations
36

Guideline

Safe disposal of unused treated grey and waste

water
The maximum permissible quantity of treated waste water that can be
disposed outside the site limits is as follows.
P 25%, where a waste water treatment system is installed.
P 20%, where a grey water treatment system is installed.

Disposal of treated waste water

Treated waste water that is disposed of should meet the appropriate water
quality requirements, as defined by the CPCB (Central Pollution Control
Board). It should be disposed of in one of the following ways. Disposing treated wastewater
P For groundwater recharge  Treated waste water can be used to elevate onto drain field
groundwater levels in areas that experience excessive groundwater withdrawal.
P For irrigation  Treated waste water can be used to water gardens, parks or other farmlands and
agricultural areas, saving potable water for these purposes.
P For construction activities  If treated up to a required standard, the waste water can be effectively
used for construction purposes.
P For increasing the water levels of lakes, ponds or streams  Recycled water can be used for increasing
the water levels in the surface waterbodies. The nutrients present in the recycled water can be used
by algae, water plants, and lower animals, which, in turn, form feed for fish.

Benefits
P Recycled water, if used efficiently, can reduce dependence on municipal
and bore water by as much as 70%.
P Application of treated wastewater on land for irrigation would help in
enhancing plant growth and also groundwater recharge potential.
P Disposal into waterbodies in the local vicinity increases the water levels,
enhances the recharge potential, and provides nutrient for growth of
aquatic flora and fauna.
P Accumulation of waste water in low-lying areas is avoided, which
otherwise becomes stagnated and breeding ground for vector-borne
diseases. Disposing via under turf sub-surface
drip irrigation network

Water quality standards for using treated waste water

for construction activities
The CPCB has set standards for disposing waste water on land, in waterbodies, and into public sewers.
Parameters have also been defined by the Bureau of Indian Standards for using the treated waste water for
construction activities, as listed below.

Parameter On land for Into inland Into public Construction

irrigation surface water sewers activity

pH 5.5–9.0 5.5–9.0 5.5–9.0 Not less than 6

Suspended solids (mg/l) 200 100 600
Temperature (ºC) – 40 45
Total dissolved solids (inorganic) (mg/l) 2100 2100 2100 3000
Oil and grease (mg/l) 10 10 20
Chlorides (mg/l) 600 1000 1000 2000 (for PCC)
500 (for RCC)
Sulphate (mg/l) 1000 1000 1000 400
 37

Guideline

Sludge treatment and disposal

Decentralized waste water treatment plants must dispose of the residuals
or sludge generated in a sustainable manner, as described below.
P On-site sludge processing
v By using effective micro-organisms, or EM, that degrade the sludge.
v By drying and converting the sludge into organic manure.
v By converting the sludge into gas by using a process called
biomethanation.
P By giving the responsibility of processing the sludge to a sludge disposal
company that follows one of the above methods and the CPCB standards. Application of EMs leads degradation of
P All large developments (>50 acre site area) must adhere to ‘zero sludge to organic manure
discharge’ of sludge outside their site limits.
P CPCB/MoEF-prescribed permissible standards for the safe disposal of sludge
and safe application of dried sludge in ‘Municipal Solid Waste Management and Handling
Rules, 2000’, have to be followed.

Problems encountered while disposing of the sludge

P Sludge disposal poses problems due to the solids present in the sludge and the volume of the
sludge.
P The volume of the sludge can be reduced by digestion, while the solids are degraded or eaten by
micro-organisms, dried or converted into gas.
P Light industrial processes undertaken in urban areas such as dyeing, welding, and lathwork might
introduce highly toxic heavy metals and other pollutants in the sludge. In these cases, sludge
cannot be applied directly to land/landfill, as there is a risk of soil and groundwater contamination.

Benefits of sludge disposal

Effective sludge management comprises sludge digestion, drying, and disposal. Its benefits are listed
below.
P The volume of the sludge generated reduces on account of digestion, which is a cheap and an
efficient process.
P Sludge dewatering reduces the moisture content of the sludge to below 70%.
P Micro-organisms used break down the solids, reduce the offensive
odour of the sludge, and dewater the sludge. About 50% of the
harmful volatile organic matter is removed by these micro-
organisms.
v Micro-organisms decompose the organic matter present in the
sludge by converting it into carbon dioxide and methane.
Alternatively, they may utilize this organic matter for their
growth and reproduction.
v The micro-organisms used for sludge decomposition are a
mixture of anaerobic and aerobic species.
P Sludge can be converted to high-quality fertilizer, which can be
directly used in agriculture. Biomethanisation converts sludge into
P The sludge can also be converted into biogas by bacterial degradation gas for varied applications
of organic matter in the absence of oxygen and light.
P The entire process of sludge management is an environmentally sustainable process.
 SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

T
he main aim of the EBRGs related to solid waste management is to close
the waste cycle loop and follow a more systematic and integrated approach
towards waste management. To overcome the various problems observed
in the existing set-up of municipal solid waste management, an attempt
has been made to manage and treat the waste in a decentralized way
as far as possible, followed by final disposal. There have been various precedents
of success stories in India, where such experiments have been successful. Based on
these experiments and lessons learnt from other countries, separate EBRGs have been
framed for the following categories:
P Waste management at locality/ward level
P Waste management in apartments and townships
P Waste management for commercial buildings
P Waste management of biomedical waste from health care facilities
P Construction and demolition waste management

There is a need to manage solid waste in a more scientific manner.

40

Guideline

Management of municipal solid waste at neighbourhood (locality) level

All residences (other than apartments) and small neighbourhood shops are required to segregate waste into
biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste and hand it over to waste collectors. Decentralized waste
management is also promoted through this guideline.

Impacts of the existing system of management of

neighbourhood-level municipal solid waste
P A holistic integrated approach of managing municipal solid waste is absent,
leading to a lot of environmental and health impacts.
P Source segregation of waste is almost absent.
P A huge quantity of biodegradable waste finds its way to landfills, which are
unscientifically managed. Treatment of such waste at low costs is almost
absent.
P Indiscriminate dumping of waste leads to greenhouse gas emissions and
leachate generation, polluting the environment.
P Arbitrary disposal of waste also poses a serious threat to human health. Waste bin for bio-degradable waste

Advantages of managing waste holistically

P Environmental benefits  This guideline emphasizes on closing the
waste cycle as much as possible by diverting a major portion of the
waste from going to landfills, preventing water and land contamination
due to leachate generation, and reusing and recycling waste.
P Health benefits  Scientific management of waste minimizes health
risks.
P Economic benefits  The component of the waste that can be reused
Passive aerated windrows
and recycled is sold, thus bringing in revenue. This also reduces
pressure on the virgin material.
P Manure  The by-product of the treatment process is rich fertilizer or manure, which can be used in
kitchen gardens or lawns.

Suggested measures
P Each locality should have a common place for further sorting of collected waste, where the
biodegradable waste will be treated using any low-cost appropriate technology such as biosanitizer,
vermicomposting, and so on, and the recyclables will be given to recyclers for reusing/recycling.
P Individual residents and shop owners can also treat biodegradable waste on-site by using in-vessel
composting or any other appropriate technology.

Technology for decentralized treatment of biodegradable waste

A number of technologies – both aerobic and anaerobic – are available for treating the biodegradable
waste. However, for decentralized treatment of such waste (in smaller quantities),
methods such as the use of OS1 (organic solutions effective micro-organisms),
biosanitizer, composting, vermicomposting, and so on could be explored.

Public–private alliance
It is also proposed to encourage public–private alliances between local bodies,
non-governmental organizations, resident welfare associations, and community-
based organizations to develop innovative models for managing solid waste at
neighbourhood level.
Collection of waste at your doorstep
 41

Guideline

Management of municipal solid waste in

apartments and townships
All solid waste generated in apartments and townships (for 20 and
more households) should be managed in a sustainable manner by
storing segregated waste and treating the biodegradable part in the
common treatment plant. The remaining waste shall be taken away
by urban local bodies and recycling agencies.

Guidelines for sustainable management of waste

Conventional method of disposal of
P Waste should be segregated into biodegradable, non- construction waste
biodegradable, and hazardous waste at the source of generation.
P All existing apartments and townships should have secondary storage space
for storing segregated waste from each of the households.
P For new buildings, appropriate space, both primary and secondary storage space, should be
provided for storing waste in each household and at community level at the design stage itself.
P All biodegradable waste should necessarily be treated using an appropriate cost-effective
technology such as composting, bioculture, vermicomposting, biomethanation processes, and so on.
P All recyclables should be sent to recycling companies.
P All apartments and townships should get waste audit done at least once in a year to gauge the
characteristics of waste stream and manage waste in an effective way.

Treatment options for the biodegradable waste

P Decentralized system offers many benefits such as reduced load
on the transport systems, lesser air pollution, increased life of
landfill, income generation for NGOs and ragpickers, production of
useful by-products, and so on.
P Decentralized solutions, being modular in nature, can easily be
implemented in stages, are manageable, result in better value
creation, involve community, and create a sense of responsibility
among people.
P Various technology options are available for handling
municipal waste. For small scale, use of simple technologies
like vermicomposting, deep-burrow earth composting, and
in-vessel composting are recommended, as these are very
cost-effective. A number of biomethanation techniques
are also available such as TEAM digester (developed by
The Energy and Resources Institute), ASTRA digester, ARTI
digester, Biotech, and so on. However, these are very
expensive solutions and could be taken up depending on
the financial viability of plants, land availability, and the
quantum of feed going as input.
TEAM process, TERI
42

Guideline

Solid waste management for commercial buildings

P Provide arrangement for storage of segregated waste in all commercial buildings.
P Treat (preferably in-house) biodegradable waste in all hotels and restaurants.
P Arrange for recycling items such as paper and cardboards, toner cartridges, batteries, and mobile
phones in all offices. E-waste should be given to registered e-waste handling agencies.
P Treat the organic waste present in the market waste generated from fish market/slaughterhouses/
vegetable market/flower market, and so on on-site or close to site.

Types of waste generated

P Commercial waste comprises by-products and materials consumed
during business activities and building management and maintenance.
P During the operational use of a commercial building, the majority of
waste generated comes from consumables associated with occupant
business activities (e-waste, paper, cardboard, food waste, and so on).
P Management and maintenance activities can release hazardous waste like Informal dismantling of
chemicals, contaminated water or non-recyclable equipment. e-waste

Annual waste audit

An annual waste audit is recommended for all commercial buildings. Following details could be covered in
the audit.
Name of the commercial building
Plot area and built up area (m2)
Total quantity of waste generated (kg/day)
Communal storage space details: Area (m2) or lit Quantity of waste received (kg/day)
- Biodegradable
- Recyclable
- Inert and miscellaneous
- Hazardous
Type of treatment plant (for biodegradable in hotels and restaurants)
- Area
- Capacity
- Quantity of by-products (kg/day)
Quantity of waste going for recycling (kg/day)
Quantity of waste given to municipal corporation (inert waste in kg/day)

E-waste recycling: some bitter facts

P India generates 150 000 tonnes of e-waste annually, mainly
comprising of computers, faxes, mobile phones, and so on. Of this
waste, approximately 78% is generated by the commercial sector.
P More than 98% of the e-waste generated is handled by the informal
sector, in an unorganized way.
P No proper safety measures are taken during the handling and
processing of this waste.
P This unhealthy practice of handling e-waste poses health risk to
handlers and adversely impacts the environment.
 43

Guideline

Management of health care waste/biomedical waste

All health care units (existing and new) should have provisions for storing
segregated waste, treating infectious and biodegradable waste, and checking
illegal recycling of hazardous waste.

Some hard facts about biomedical waste

Segregation of
P Though biomedical waste forms just 1% of the total waste generated, it assumes bio-medical waste
great importance due to its toxic and infectious nature. If this waste
gets mixed with the municipal waste, it poses risk to human health and the environment.
P Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, was promulgated in the country in 1998.
P While bigger health care units follow these rules to some extent, small- and medium-sized units and
pathological laboratories do not comply with these regulations.
P Most of the health care units outsource collection, transportation, and management of biomedical waste
to service providers, without disinfecting it.
P Small, unregistered health care units dump the biomedical waste along with the municipal waste.

Types of biomedical waste

There are 10 categories of biomedical waste, as defined under the Biomedical Waste (Management and
Handling) Rules. Some of these categories are human anatomical waste, animal waste, microbiology
and biotechnology waste, incineration ash, and so on. All these wastes can be divided into three broad
categories.
P Infectious waste  It comprises used sharps and items that could cause a cut or puncture, pathological
waste, syringes, blood bags, and so on.
P Hazardous waste  It comprises discarded medicines and cytotoxic drugs, chemicals used in the production
of biologicals, disinfectants, and so on, ash from incineration of medical waste, and so on.
P Non-infectious waste  It constitutes 90% of the total waste generated and includes office waste and
kitchen waste.

Management of biomedical waste

P Audit  An annual waste audit is suggested for all health care units.
P Institutional arrangements  Biomedical waste management
requires a systematic approach.
v The management requires active participation of trained staff.
v The waste needs to be segregated and stored in colour-coded
containers. Segregation reduces the cost of treatment and does
not cause any health hazard.
v Infectious waste needs to be disinfected.
v Hazardous and infectious waste should be given to authorized service providers for further disposal.
v Non-infectious waste can be recycled or composted or taken by the respective municipal body for
disposal.
P Awareness and training  Awareness needs to be generated on appropriate handling and disposal of
biomedical waste so that everyone coming in contact with the waste, from health care providers to
patients to waste handlers, are safe.

Benefits
P Health  Proper management of biomedical waste ensures that the waste is disposed of in a holistic way so
that it does not affect the health of health care providers, patients or waste handlers.
P Environment  Safe disposal of hazardous and toxic biomedical waste ensures that there are no adverse
impacts on the environment.
44

Guideline

Management of construction and demolition waste

P A waste management and recycling plan for construction and demolition projects for all new buildings
and for refurbishments of the existing buildings is a necessity to minimize the waste generated and
manage this waste in a sustainable manner.
P Allocate a minimum of 4% of the total site area for storage of waste.
P Reuse/recycle a minimum of 20% of the construction/demolition waste generated.

Construction and demolition waste

P Waste generated from construction, remodelling, and repairing of buildings
is termed as construction waste.
P Waste generated from razed buildings is termed as demolition waste.
P The construction and demolition waste includes debris, concrete, steel and
other metals, plastics, packaging and paper products, wood beams, and so
on.

Impacts of solid waste generation

P Debris, waste plastic, and demolition waste destroy topsoil.
P Polythene and plastic lead to choking of drains.
P Hazardous waste like asbestos, tar, and oil not managed and disposed of properly adversely affect
human health.
P Huge quantity of construction and demolition waste generated puts immense pressure on landfill space.

Recommended measures to manage waste efficiently

P An important strategy for managing construction and demolition waste is minimizing, reducing, and
recycling. Appropriate clauses should be introduced in the contract agreement. Architects/designers
should try to avoid over-design and use of high embodied energy materials (embodied energy refers to
the energy required to produce a product, including extraction of raw materials, their processing, and
their transport).
P Some tips for contractors
v Purchase materials that have a high recycled content.
v Ask suppliers to minimize packaging.
v Have appropriate storage areas ready, which should be covered to protect against rain ingress.
v Order in standard sizes to minimize on-site cutting and waste.

Some examples of reuse and recycling

P Excavation produces topsoil, clay, sand, and gravel. These may be reused as fillers at the same site or
moved to some other place.
P Bricks, stones, and masonry produced during demolition are generally mixed with cement, mortar, and
lime.
P Metals are recovered from pipes, conduits, wires, and sanitary fittings and sent for re-melting.
P Timber recovered in good conditions from beams, window frames or doors can be reused.
 POLLUTION

C
onstruction of buildings not only consumes Hyderabad’s already depleting
resources but also leads to environmental pollution.
Noise pollution and air pollution are caused due to the use of heavy
machineries and vehicles during construction and demolition, operation
of off-grid diesel generators for power, loading and unloading operations,
concrete and plaster preparation, bore well digging, and so on.
Pollution-related EBRGs have been designed to check and control pollution due to
buildings in Hyderabad. These guidelines include measures to control air pollution
levels during construction stages and noise pollution during and after construction.
Rest of the pollution related measures are covered under other sections.
46

Guideline

Check air pollution during construction

P Ensure reduction in air pollution during construction by taking
appropriate preventive measures.
P Ensure reduction in air pollution while using diesel generator sets
by ensuring minimum height of stack as per the Central Pollution
Control Board norms.

Pollution caused by construction activities

P Activities at construction site, such as land clearing, operation of
diesel engines, demolition, and burning contribute significantly to
air pollution.
Prevention of air pollution due to
P Suspended particulate matter increases significantly during construction. construction activities
P The dust generated from construction activities (from concrete, cement,
wood, stone, silica) is classified as PM10, which is invisible to the naked eye.
P Additionally, diesel engine exhaust comprises soot, sulphates and silicates, carbon monoxide,
hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide.
P Noxious vapours from oils, glues, thinners, paints, plastics, cleaners, and so on used at construction sites
also contribute to air pollution.

Impacts of air pollutants released during construction

P Research has shown that PM10 penetrates deeply into the lungs and lodges there, causing asthma,
bronchitis, and even cancer.
P Other air pollutants released during construction activities can also cause various health disorders.
P Greenhouse gases released during construction activities cause global warming.

Best practices to minimize air pollution during construction

P Provide hoardings, at least 3-metre high, along the site boundary, next to a road or other public area.
P Provide dust screens, sheeting or netting to scaffold along the perimeter of the building under
construction.
P Cover stockpile of dusty material with impervious sheeting.
P Cover dusty load on vehicles with impervious sheeting before they leave the site.
P Keep dry loose materials like bulk cement or dry pulverized fly ash inside a totally enclosed system.
P Spray water, through a simple hose or a water truck, to keep dust under control. Misting systems and
sprinklers can be used to control fine particulates.
P Use low-sulphur diesel oil in all vehicle and equipment engines and
incorporate the latest specifications of particulate filters and catalytic
converters.
P While using diesel generator, adhere to the following norms.
v The diesel generator sets should be provided with integral
acoustic enclosures at the manufacturing stage.
v There must be sufficient space for the fuel tank inside the
canopy and to house panel.
v There must be a provision for air-intake and air-exhaust Water sprinkling to control dust
silencers.
v There must be a provision for additional screens and hoods for multi-medium noise suppression.
v A minimum stack height should be provided with each generator.
P Cutting, grinding, and sawing should ideally be undertaken off site. For on-site works, the following
techniques should be used.
v All equipment should be fitted with a water suppressant system.
v Dust extraction techniques should always be used.
v Areas used for undertaking cutting and grinding works should be screened.
 47

Guideline

Outdoor noise
Ensure that the outdoor and indoor noise levels conform to the ambient
environmental standards of noise prescribed by the Central Pollution Control
Board and National Building Code, 2005. While using diesel generator sets
during and after construction, ensure that the maximum permissible sound
pressure level for new diesel generator sets with rated capacity upto 1000 kVA,
manufactured on or after 1 July 2003, is 75 dB(A) at 1 m from the enclosure
surface. Noise control measures should be incorporated during the design and
installation of electrical devices, air conditioners, and ventilation devices,
and the noise emitted from these devices should adhere to the recommended
outdoor and indoor noise criteria as given in the National Building Code, 2005.

Recommended measures to check noise pollution

P All noisy construction work activities such as piling, blasting, demolition, concreting works, borewell
digging, and so on must be carried between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
P Typical noisy construction activities and recommended time of construction hours are as follows.

Type of work 7a.m.–7p.m. 7p.m.–10 p.m. 10 p.m.–7 a.m.

Very noisy works like piling, blasting, Yes No No

demolition, concreting works, borewell digging

Moderately noisy works like erection, dismantling Yes Yes No

of framework, tying, fixing of steel bars, operation
of cranes, loading/unloading of construction
materials, and so on

Quiet works like housekeeping, brick-laying, Yes Yes Yes

plastering, painting, and so on

• Equipment used for construction work must not make noise.
• During the construction of commercial and big residential buildings, install noise meters at 1 m from the
affected building, and maintain the readings till the construction is over. These could be checked by the
concerned authority in case of any complaint by affected parties.

Measuring noise
Noise can be measured with the help of noise meters. Based on their range of measurement, precision, cost,
and so on, the noise meters can be classified as analog, digital, and calibrated.

Equipment to measure and monitor

noise levels
 ECOLOGY AND GEOLOGY

A
settlement is characterized by its individual and unique characteristics.
Urban centres have to carefully preserve and conserve its flora and fauna,
geological formations, and heritage zones and buildings, which become the
identity of a settlement. Like many other cities in India, Hyderabad, once
known as a city of gardens, is now left with only 0.50 m2 per capita of
recreational space in the MCH (Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad) area, as against
the national standard of 3 m2. Encroachment of open spaces and community parks
for building purposes is exasperating the issue. Remote sensing studies reveal that
the area under water bodies has reduced from 22.79 km2 in 1989 to 20.84 km2 in 1999
in the city and the surrounding municipalities. Plant species, being promoted for
parks and private gardens, comprise of a lot of non-native species. The unique rock
formations that are the identity of the city are being destroyed indiscriminately due
to aggressive construction activities.
As a result, Hyderabad is losing its ecological and geological identity and its
biodiversity is being severely affected. The large number of migratory birds that used
to be seen in the city’s lakes are not seen anymore. With increasing population and
economic activity, the situation in the core city will inevitably spread to the heritage
and conservation zones and the water bodies located in the peripheral areas of the
city. To avoid such a situation, solutions to conserve these resources are required,
which will mean addressing the city’s ecological and developmental patterns.
While landscaping regulations at the building level exist at the national and local
levels, they are insufficient to address these issues and are not being stringently
enforced. Countries, such as the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, could provide
us with some very good examples of regulated green cover both in parks and in specific
building zones.
The geological formations of Hyderabad have been declared by HMDA (Hyderabad
Metropolitan Development Authority) as conservation and heritage precincts, making
it the only city in India where rocks are protected as natural heritage. HMDA, GHMC
(Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation), and APTD (Andhra Pradesh Tourism
Department) have started developing rock gardens in the city, which is a laudable
initiative. However, efforts have to be made at every site level to protect these
unique features that are millions of years old.
Hence, the guidelines on Ecological and Geological Conservation cover the following
aspects.
1. Conservation of existing vegetation on a building site and improving
the ecological value of the site through plantation of native species.
2. Soil conservation on build gin sites through top soil conservation,
erosion control, and soil and runoff water pollution control
3. Conservation of rock formation on site through design
measures and methods to stabilize them
50

Guideline

Conserving ecological value of a site through design integration and

conservation during construction
P Existing site vegetation and pockets of microhabitats should be integrated in
site planning and landscape design.
P Existing mature trees should be
v protected wherever possible. Permission from municipal authorities
should be obtained prior to felling a mature tree, as per the APWALTA
Act, 2002.
v transplanted where they cannot be protected, and
Natural state of a site is of intrinsic
v replanted if neither protection nor transplantation is possible, with
ecological value
following considerations.
– Three new tree saplings should be replanted for cutting every mature or fully grown tree.
– Native and/or non-invasive species should be used for replanting.
P In all sites, the following minimum number of trees should be maintained.
v 250 m2 and less – two trees
v More than 250 m2 but less than 750 m2 – three trees
v More than 750 m – one tree for every 250 m2
v Vacant land – 25 trees per hectare
P Trees retained or identified for transplanting on-site should be protected from construction activities.
P If the construction site is part of a larger site, the construction site has to be demarcated, and
vegetation in surrounding areas should not be disturbed.

Benefits of ecological conservation

Conserving and maintaining vegetation in an area have the following advantages.
P Maintaining vegetative cover helps in reducing flooding risk, erosion,
and pollution of lakes and rivers by increasing groundwater recharge.
P Maintaining tree cover also improves air quality.
P Conserving and/or planting native species can save money as they
require lesser maintenance and lesser water.
P Native plants will also improve the aesthetic quality of gardens and
terraces by attracting native fauna and migratory species, creating
Maintaining pre-development ecological
‘urban niches’.
footprint has many advantages

Procedure for monitoring and protecting site vegetation

P An ecological survey of the site and an inventory of naturally occurring vegetation, topography, and
slopes should be undertaken to identify plant species, their extent of coverage, and the natural
drainage pattern, with the help of a landscape architect.
P Based on the survey, microhabitats and trees that need to be left undisturbed should be identified.
P The consequent landscape plan should indicate trees that have been preserved and also those that
had to be transplanted or removed, clearly differentiating between these three categories.

Protecting site vegetation during

construction
P When opening the site, care should be taken to keep
vegetation clearing at a minimum.
P Protection of existing vegetation, where possible, by
preventing disturbance or damage to specified areas during
Adequate protection and enhancement of site
construction should be undertaken. vegetation is very important
P The preserved vegetated area should be inspected by the landscape
architect/architect/engineer-in-charge at regular intervals so that it remains undisturbed.
 51

Guideline

Soil conservation and erosion control during construction

Site demarcation and material storage

P The construction site and the area in the vicinity should be clearly demarcated
from the undisturbed area.
P Space for storage of construction material should be demarcated either on-site or
in the closest space available (with permission) before the construction work
begins. Roads, pavements or community parks should not be used for storage.
Top soil takes
Controlling soil pollution million of years
to form and
P Topsoil, other than black cotton soil, should be removed till a depth of supports native
200 mm and preserved for reuse before construction starts on-site. vegetation
P Adequate measures should be taken to control spillages of paints and other
hazardous materials on the soil and to dispose of contaminated material and hazardous waste.

Controlling erosion and water pollution

P Temporary drainage channels should be constructed for collecting construction run-off water and storm
water run-off water from the construction site. The pollutant-laden water should be diverted to an on-
site treatment plant.
P Temporary drainage channels and swales should be constructed on the periphery of the construction
site for diverting storm water run-off from the surrounding areas away from the construction site.
P Erosion control measures such as seeding, mulching, and effective planting should be undertaken during
and after construction on-site.

Benefits envisaged
P Proper construction material storage will secure the building material from theft and reduce material
wastage, and prevent traffic problems.
P Erosion control and soil protection measures erosion due to storm water run-off and wind, siltation of
drains, dust pollution during construction, and water pollution. They will improve the green cover and
groundwater level.

Measures to protect soil

P Site demarcation and material storage  The site that will be disturbed during
construction should be demarcated. Space for storing sand and metal should be
clearly shown on the site plan. This space should not be on the road or pavement or
any other community space.
P Controlling soil pollution  The soil becomes loose due to the removal of stabilizing
material. Hence, a topsoil preservation plan and a soil erosion and sedimentation
control plan should be prepared prior to construction and should be
followed diligently.
P Controlling water pollution during construction
v A separate drainage channel and sedimentation pit should be provided
for the construction waste water so that it does not mix with sewage
water or percolate into the soil.
v Temporary storm water drainage swales should be constructed around
the construction site to divert storm water run-off from the site.
Swales and drainage channels
P Controlling soil erosion during and after construction  It is important to control soil erosion and pollution
understand soil characteristics, climate, rainfall intensity and duration, and
vegetation and topography to predict the extent and consequences of soil erosion. Plantation
effectively prevent soil erosion. Mulches on slopes can help prevent run-off and erosion problems.
52

Guideline

On-site geology conservation

P For a site with rocky substrata, basement construction that involves blasting or disturbing the rocky
substrata will not be allowed.
P Rock formations declared as ‘heritage sites’ or ‘important rock formations’ by the ‘Society to Save
Rocks’ should not be disturbed.
P Rock formations located on and within 50 m of the site boundary have to be identified prior to
construction.
v Geological features such as rocks, lakes, and so on on-site should be
integrated into the building or landscape design.
v Prior permission from an accredited geologist has to be taken if any
formation has to be disturbed.
P While integrating rock formations into a building or landscape design,
following rules should be followed.
v Natural stability of the rock formation should not be disturbed.
v Stabilizing rocks by artificial means should be as per the Pathar Dil – one of the rocky
recommendations of an accredited geologist. wonders of Hyderabad
v Native flora and fauna existing amidst rock clusters should be left undisturbed.

Importance of rock formations

P Rocks are ancient ecosystems of great geological, cultural, and aesthetic values, and play a
fundamental role in preserving biodiversity.
P Owing to their uniqueness, nine rock sites in Hyderabad have been declared as heritage precincts and
20 more formations are being considered to be included in this list.
P These rock systems are also part of the hydrological regime of an area.

Aim of the guideline

P Conserving the rock sites that are considered the oldest geological formations.
P Increasing awareness of the geological significance of the rocks among people so that they are proactive
towards their conservation..
P Preventing destruction of rocks for construction purposes and encourage sustainable, eco-friendly
integration of rocks in buildings.
P Compelling construction industry professionals to integrate rock formations into the building and
landscape design, leading to a new architectural style evolution.

Examples of rocks integrated in architecture

P Shilparamam, the crafts village located in the Jubilee Hills area, celebrates the symphony of rocks,
enhancing their beauty by landscaping and bring focus to this marvel of nature by a sensitive use of
space without disturbing the natural settings.
P Over the years, the house of Narendra Luther, tucked away at
Banjara Hills Road, has become a textbook example in incorporating
a rock completely into a house.
P Some of the rocks that have been declared as Heritage Precincts in
Hyderabad are as follows.
v Rock Park on Old Bombay Road near Dargah Hussain Shah Wali
v Hillocks around Durgam Cheruvu Lake, Jubilee Hills
v ‘Bear’s Nose’ inside Shilparamam, Madhapur
v ‘Cliff Rock’ between Road No. 45 and 46, Jubilee Hills
Rock in the drawing room – exclusive
v ‘Mushroom Rock’ inside the University of Hyderabad Campus
identity of Mr Narendra Luther’s house
 BUILDING MATERIALS

T
he use of readily available, environment-friendly materials contributes
towards a sustainable habitat. An environment-friendly material is made
from recycled material that uses only renewable energy in its extraction,
production, and transport, and can be reclaimed and recycled.
  On the one hand, the phenomenal growth of building industry results
in unplanned and unchecked exploitation of natural resources, while on the other
hand, growth catalyses the need for intensive efforts to standardize energy-efficient
production processes, reuse production waste, and analyse a material in terms of its
sustainable footprint. To meet the goal of finding a suitable material, there needs
to be a frame of reference to select materials based on environmental concerns. Of
the many available alternatives, the use of fly ash in concrete products such as fly-
ash-based bricks, blocks, and pavers are some sustainable technologies being used in
Hyderabad for the construction of buildings. Some of the key concerns in the building
industry that uses various types of building materials are as follows.
P Use of environment-unfriendly materials.
P Increase in heat gain effect, as these materials are climatologically inappropriate,
thereby effecting the indoor comfort levels
P Moving away from traditional architecture.
P Increasing natural resource extraction, leading to the depletion of fossil fuels.
P Increase in transportation and other related costs due to the use of locally
unavailable materials.

The use of environment-friendly materials has following advantages.

P Use of fly ash and its variants in building construction helps in reducing the use of
cement, sand, and so on.
P Use of recycled materials like material made from industrial wastes helps in
environment conservation.
P Use of naturally available stones enable in regaining the vernacular importance of
buildings
P Reuse of building materials from construction debris reduces the stress on the
fossil fuels and other non-renewable resources

In view of its immense potential, the framework of EBRGs for

building materials have focused on use of materials which
are
P Locally available
P Climatologically appropriate
P Recycled or reused materials
P Low embodied energy materials
54

Guideline

Using building materials that are recycled/reused or have low

embodied energy or are locally available
P 15% of fly ash should be used in RC (reinforced cement) using PCC (Portland
pozzolona cement) containing fly ash.
P For building blocks for walls, 25% of total masonry should comprise fly ash.
P For plastering and masonry mortar, 15% of cement should comprise fly ash.
P 20% of total masonry for structural and non-structural applications should
comprise low-energy/recycled materials.
P For the interior finishes and components, 50% of total masonry should
Fly ash bricks and blocks
comprise recycled materials. manufacturing unit
P Alternative building materials should be increasingly used in construction.

Benefits of using traditional/locally available building materials

P Comprise renewable resources.
P Sensitive to ecology and environment friendly.
P Environment-friendly, as impacts are considered over the life of the material.
P Reduce maintenance/replacement costs over life of the building.
P Increase resource efficiency, energy efficiency, and conservation in buildings.
P Enhance occupant health and productivity.
P Reduce water consumption in buildings and conserve water in landscape areas.
P Climatologically appropriate and leave minimum environmental footprints during
their life cycle.
P Reduce cost by using locally available materials.

Alternative building materials

P Ready mix concrete or high-volume fly ash concrete or PPC concrete.
P PPC  Alternative to OPC (ordinary Portland cement), with an additional advantage
of having mild sulphate resistance. Types of eco-friendly building
materials and products
P High-volume fly ash concrete.
P Fly-ash-based building products  Cellular light weight concrete blocks, fly-ash-based
polymer composites, ready mix fly ash concrete, fly ash bricks/blocks, and clay fly ash bricks.

Low-energy materials (precast systems)

P Stabilized compressed earth blocks Made up of mud stabilized with 5% cement lime and other materials.
P Precast stone blocks Manufactured using waste stone pieces of various sizes and lean cement concrete.
P Precast concrete blocks Use coarse and fine aggregate with cement.
P Precast hollow concrete blocks Manufactured using lean cement concrete mixes and need lesser cement
mortar.
P Composite ferrocement systems Made of rich mortar reinforced with chicken or welded wire mesh.

Recycled (low-energy) materials for interiors/finishes

P Composite wood products  Examples are hardboards, black boards, lumber-
core plywood, and so on.
P Renewable materials/products  Made from small diameter trees and fast-
growing low-utilized species harvested within a 10-year or shorter cycle, such
as bamboo, rubber, eucrasia, poplar, and so on.
P Products utilizing industrial waste  Industrial waste includes wood waste,
Use of low energy materials
agricultural waste, and natural fibres. in buildings
P Salvaged timber and reused wood products  Example, furniture.
P Low-embodied energy products  Use recycled materials like glass, crushed stone, and other waste.

Energy
Air change per hour: The number of times per hour that
the volume of a specific room or building is supplied or
removed from that space by mechanical and natural
ventilation. Air handler, or AHU (air handling unit)
central unit consisting of a blower, heating and cooling
elements, filter racks or chamber, dampers, humidifier,
and other central equipment in direct contact with the
airflow. This does not include the ductwork through the
building.
British thermal unit: Any of several units of energy (heat) in
the HVAC industry, each slightly more than 1 kJ. One BTU
(British thermal unit) is the energy required to raise one
pound of water 1° Fahrenheit, but the many different
types of BTU are based on different interpretations of
this definition. In the United States the power of HVAC
systems (the rate of cooling and dehumidifying or heating)
is sometimes expressed in BTU/hour instead of watts.
Chiller: A device that removes heat from a liquid via a
vapor-compression or absorption refrigeration cycle.
This cooled liquid flows through pipes in a building and
passes through coils in air handlers, fan-coil units or
other systems, cooling and usually dehumidifying the
air in the building. Chillers are of two types—air cooled
or water cooled. Air-cooled chillers are usually outside
and consist of condenser coils cooled by fan-driven air.
Water-cooled chillers are usually inside a building and
heat from these chillers is carried by re-circulating water
to outdoor cooling towers.
Coil: Equipment that performs heat transfer when mounted
inside an air handling unit or ductwork. It is heated
or cooled by electrical means or by circulating liquid
or steam within it. Air flowing across it is heated or
cooled.
Condenser: A component in the basic refrigeration cycle
that ejects or removes heat from the system. The
condenser is the hot side of an air conditioner or heat
pump. Condensers are heat exchangers and can transfer
heat to air or to an intermediate fluid (such as water or
an aqueous solution of ethylene glycol) to carry heat to a
distant sink such as ground (earth sink), a body of water,
or air (as with cooling towers).
Constant air volume: A system designed to provide a CAV
(constant air volume) per unit time. This term is applied to
HVAC systems that have variable supply-air temperature
GLOSSARY
but constant air flow rates. Most residential forced air
systems are small CAV systems with on/off control.
Controller: A device that controls the operation of part or all
of a system. It may simply turn a device on and off or it
may more subtly modulate burners, compressors, pumps,
valves, fans, dampers, and the like. Most controllers are
automatic but have user inputs such as temperature set
points, for example a thermostat. Controls may be analog,
or digital, or pneumatic or a combination of these.
Damper: A plate or gate placed in a duct to control air flow
by introducing a constriction in the duct.
ΔT
ΔT (delta T) is a reference to a temperature difference.
It is used to describe the difference in temperature of
a heating or cooling fluid as it enters and as it leaves a
heat transfer device. This term is used in the calculation
of coil efficiency.
Ecotect: Ecotect analyses the 3D models within the actual
context of design. It does surface mapping, spatial
volumetric renderings or simple shadow animations. One
can interact with data usually in real time to get visual
feedback in Ecotect.
Evaporator: A component in the basic refrigeration cycle
that absorbs or adds heat to the system. Evaporators can
be used to absorb heat from air (by reducing temperature
and by removing water) or from a liquid. The evaporator
is the cold side of an air conditioner or heat pump.
Fan coil unit: A small terminal unit that is often composed
of only a blower and a heating and/or cooling coil (heat
exchanger), as is often used in hotels, condominiums,
or apartments. One type of DCU (fan coil unit) is a unit
ventilator.
Fenestration: All areas (including the frames) in the building
envelope that let in light including windows, plastic
panels, clerestories, skylights, glass doors that are more
than one-half glass, and glass block walls.
Fresh air intake: An opening through which outside air is
drawn into the building. This may be to replace air in
the building that has been exhausted by the ventilation
system or to provide fresh air for combustion of fuel.
Furnace: A component of an HVAC system that adds heat to
air or an intermediate fluid by burning fuel (natural gas,
oil, propane, butane or other flammable substances) in
a heat exchanger.
Grille: A facing across a duct opening, usually rectangular
is shape, containing multiple parallel slots through which
56
air may be delivered or withdrawn from a ventilated
space.
Heat load, heat loss or heat gain: Terms for the amount
of heating (heat loss) or cooling (heat gain) needed to
maintain desired temperatures and humidity in controlled
air. Regardless of how well-insulated and sealed a building
is, buildings gain heat from warm air or sunlight or lose
heat due to cold air and radiation. Engineers use a heat
load calculation to determine the HVAC needs of the
space being cooled or heated.
Hottest average day: The average temperature of this day
is highest in the year.
Louvers: Blades, sometimes adjustable, placed in ducts or
duct entries to control the volume of air flow. The term
may also refer to blades in a rectangular frame placed in
doors or walls to permit the movement of air.
Makeup air unit: An air handler that conditions 100% outside
air. MAUs (makeup air unit) are typically used in industrial
or commercial settings, or in ‘once-through’ blower
sections that only blow air one-way into the building),
‘low flow’ (air handling systems that blow air at a low
flow rate) or ‘primary-secondary’ (air handling systems
that have an air handler or rooftop unit connected to an
add-on makeup unit or hood) commercial HVAC systems.
Orientation: It is the direction an envelope element faces,
that is, the direction of a vector perpendicular to and
pointing away from the surface outside of the element.
Packaged terminal air conditioner: An air conditioner and
heater combined into a single, electrically-powered
unit, typically installed through a wall and often found
in hotels.
Packaged unit or rooftop unit: An air-handling unit, defined
as either ‘recirculating’ or ‘once-through’ design, made
specifically for outdoor installation. They most often
include, internally, their own heating and cooling devices.
RTUs are very common in some regions, particularly in
single-story commercial buildings (roof top unit).
Reflectance: The fraction of radiant energy that is reflected
from a surface.
Solar heat gain coefficient: SHGC (Solar heat gain coefficient)
is the fraction of external solar radiation that is admitted
through a window or skylight, both directly transmitted,
absorbed, and subsequently released inward.
Thermal zone: A single or group of neighboring indoor
spaces that the HVAC designer expects will have similar
thermal loads. Building codes may require zoning to save
energy in commercial buildings. Zones are defined in
the building to reduce the number of HVAC subsystems,
and thus initial cost. For example, for perimeter offices,
rather than one zone for each office, all offices facing
west can be combined into one zone. Small residences
typically have only one conditioned thermal zone, plus
unconditioned spaces such as unconditioned garages,
attics, and crawlspaces, and unconditioned basements.
Transmittance: The fraction of radiant energy that passes
through a surface.
U-factor: It measures the rate of heat transfer through a
building element over a given area, under standardized
conditions. The usual standard is at a temperature
gradient of 24 °C at 50% humidity with no wind.
Variable air volume system: An HVAC system that has a
stable supply-air temperature and varies the air flow
rate to meet the temperature requirements. Compared
to CAV systems, these systems waste less energy through
unnecessarily high fan speeds. Most new commercial
buildings have VAV (variable air volume) systems.
Lighting power density: It is calculated by dividing the
total lighting load in wattage with total area (m2). The
units are W/m2.
Energy performance Index: It is calculated as the ratio
of total building energy consumption in a year to the
total built up area.
Chiller Performance: It is calculated based on the
formula given below.
• The refrigeration TR is assessed as TR = Q × Cp × (Ti
– To) / 3024
• Where Q is mass flow rate of coolant in kg/hr
• Cp is coolant specific heat in kCal /kg deg C
• Ti is inlet, temperature of coolant to evaporator
(chiller) in °C
• To is outlet temperature of coolant from evaporator
(chiller) in °C.
The above TR is also called as chiller tonnage.
The specific power consumption kW/TR is a useful
indicator of the performance of refrigeration system. By
measuring refrigeration duty performed in TR and the
kilowatt inputs, kW/TR 128
Pump performance: Pump efficiency can be calculated
based on the formula given below.
Efficiency: hydraulic power/electrical input power
Hydraulic power: Q (m3/s) × Total head, (hd – hs) (m)
× ρ (kg/m3) × g (m/s2) / 1000
Where hd – discharge head,
hs – suction head,
ρ – density of the fluid,
g – acceleration due to gravity
Cooling tower performance: Cooling tower performance
is calculated based on the formula given
Efficiency: range/ (range + approach)
Range: Difference between the cooling tower water
inlet and outlet temperature.
Approach: Difference between the cooling tower
outlet cold water temperature and ambient wet bulb
temperature
Window wall ratio: It is the fraction of the cumulative
window area to the wall area (including fenestration
area) on the same facade.
Comfort
Air change rate: It is a measure of how quickly the air in
an interior space is replace by outside (or conditioned)
air by ventilation and infiltration. Air change rate is
measured in appropriate units such as cubic meters per
hour divided by the volume of air in the room.

Dry bulb temperature: It is the temperature of air measured
by a thermometer freely exposed to the air but shielded
from radiation and moisture.
Metabolic rate: The metabolic rate, expressed in met, is
used as a measuring unit of human heat production.
Day light factor: The ratio of interior illuminance at a given
point on a given plane (usually the work plane) to the
exterior illuminance (reference) under the same sky
conditions.
Decibel: The dB (decibel) is a logarithmic unit of
measurement that expresses the magnitude of a physical
quantity (usually power or intensity) relative to a
specified or implied reference level.
Fenestration: All areas (including the frames) in the building
envelope that let in light including windows, plastic
panels, clerestories, skylights, glass doors that are more
than one-half glass, and glass block walls.
Illuminance: Illuminance is the total luminous flux incident
on a surface per unit area.
Noise: Noise (in sound) is generally any unpleasant sound
and, more technically, any unwanted sound that is
unintentionally added to a desired sound.
Orientation: It is the direction an envelope element faces,
that is, the direction of a vector perpendicular to and
pointing away from the surface outside of the element.
Reflectance: The fraction of radiant energy that is reflected
from a surface.
Transmittance: The fraction of radiant energy that passes
through a surface.
Volatile organic compounds: VOCs (volatile organic
compounds) are organic chemical compounds that have
high enough vapor pressures under normal conditions to
significantly vaporize and enter the atmosphere.
Window wall ratio: It is the fraction of the cumulative
window area to the wall area (including fenestration
area) on the same facade.
Solid waste management
Aerobic: A biochemical process or environmental condition
occurring in the presence of oxygen.
Anaerobic: A biochemical process or environmental
condition occurring in the absence of oxygen
Biodegradable: A compound that can be shredded or
converted to simpler compounds by microorganisms
E-waste: It includes discarded materials from a range of
electronic devices such as computers, refrigerators,
televisions, air-conditioners, personal stereos, MP3
players, mobile phones, among others.
Pollution
Decibels: The most common measure of a sound’s level is
SPL (sound pressure level) expressed in dB, abbreviated
dB. Decibels are not typical units like meters or kilograms
in that they do not linearly relate to a specific quantity.
Instead, decibels are based on the logarithmic ratio of
the sound power or intensity to a reference power or
57
intensity. Sound power and intensity are not easy to
measure. However, sound pressure is easily measured
with a sound level meter. Sound pressure may also
be expressed in dB since sound pressure squared is
proportional to sound power or intensity. We use dB
instead of the actual amplitude of the sound in units of
pressure because its logarithmic value represents the
way our ears interpret sound and because the numbers
are more manageable for our calculations. Most sounds
fall in the range of 0 to140 dB, which is equivalent to
waves with pressures of 20 to 200 000 000 micropascals
(or 2 × 10 – 10 to 2 × 10 – 2 atm). The approximate SPLs
of some common sound sources are given in the following
table.
SPL of common sound sources
Source SPL(dDA)
Faintest audible sound 0
Whisper 20
Quiet residence 30
Soft stereo in residence 40
Speech range 50–70
Cafeteria 80
Pneumatic jackhammer 90
Loud crowd noise 100
Accelerating motorcycle 100
Rock concert 120
Jet engine (75 feet away) 140
However, calculating the SPL of two sources together is
not as simple as adding their individual decibel levels.
Two people speaking at 70 dBA each are not as loud as a
jet engine at 140 dBA. To combine two decibel values,
they must be converted back to pressure squared,
summed, and converted back to decibel.
Water conservation
Activated carbon filtration: A water filtration process,
which utilizes an activated carbon filtering medium
to remove taste, odor, some organic compounds, and
radon. Activated carbon is effective as a filter for
organic chemicals because it is an excellent medium
for both adsorption (where the chemical interacts
with the surface of the carbon) and absorption (where
the chemical is incorporated into the carbon’s surface
structure).
Aerator: Faucet aerators are small plug-in devices that
can reduce home water consumption costs by as much
as 50%. Faucet aerators replace the faucet head screen,
lowering the flow by adding air to the spray.
Biological contamination: Contamination arising due to
presence, activity, and growth of any and all living
organisms
Borewell: A drilled bore in earth that is made deep
into an impervious layer in order to reach a water-
bearing stratum. The water reached could be either
58
non-replenishable ‘fossil water’ or replenishable by
infiltration of surface water after flowing certain
distances through porous geological formations. In
this process, in proper conditions, the water gets (or
used to get) mostly free from organic matter, including
pathogenic organisms.
Brackish water: Water containing dissolved solids in the
range of 1000 to less than 15 000 parts per million.
Catchment area: It is the area drained by a stream or
other water bodiesbody of water. The amount of water
reaching the river, reservoir or lake from its catchment
area depends on the size of the area, the amount of
precipitation, and the loss through evaporation and
through absorption by the earth or by vegetation.
Conductivity: The property of a substance to conduct
(carry) heat or electricity; the unit of measure is the
Siemens.
Deionization: The removal of all ionized minerals and salts
(both organic and inorganic) from a solution by a two-
phase ion exchange procedure
Demineralization: The act or process of removing minerals
or mineral salts from a liquid such as water. Water is
passed through a mixed-bed ion exchanger to remove
soluble ionic impurities.
Distribution downtakes: The pipelines/ duct work that
distribute water from an overhead water-storage
facility to the various water supply points in the
building, that is, bathrooms, kitchens, wash areas, and
so on.
Drip irrigation: Drip irrigation can help use water
efficiently in meeting the irrigation requirements of a
landscape. An irrigation method involving small pipes
placed at the base of plants delivering water slowly to
the plant roots. A well-designed drip irrigation system
loses practically no water to runoff, deep percolation or
evaporation.
Dual flush toilet: A dual-flush toilet is a variation of the
flush toilet that uses two handles to flush different
levels of water. The main feature of the toilet is that it
has two buttons for releasing water. The smaller level is
designed for liquid waste, and the larger is designed for
solid waste.
Ecological balance: A state of dynamic equilibrium within
a community of organisms in which genetic, species,
and ecosystem diversity remain relatively stable,
subject to gradual changes through natural selection.
Economic feasibility: Term used to understand whether
expected cost savings; increased revenue, increased
profits, and reductions in required investment exceed
the costs of developing and operating a proposed
system.
Exotic/ornamental plants: The term is often used to
describe plant species that have been, or are being,
introduced in to parts of the world other than their
historical or documented range by humans, often as
ornamental plants.
Flow rate: Flow rate is a parameter used to mark the
efficiency of appliances using liquids. For water
fixtures, flow rate gives the amount of water (in litres
or gallons) that flows from a particular fixture in a given
time (in minutes or seconds).
Flow regulator: A device that controls the flow of water
(in the present context) to the desired level, generally
used to reduce the flow coming from faucets where
conserving water is the aim.
Habitat: The place where a population (for example,
human, animal, plant or microorganism) lives, with its
surroundings, both living and nonliving.
Hardness: A common quality of water, which contains
dissolved compounds of calcium and magnesium and,
sometimes, other divalent and trivalent metallic
elements. Hardness prevents soap from lathering
by causing the development of an insoluble curdy
precipitate in the water; hardness typically causes
the buildup of hardness scale (such as seen in cooking
pans). Dissolved calcium and magnesium salts are
primarily responsible for most scaling in pipes and
water heaters and cause numerous problems in laundry,
kitchen, and bath.
Household: A household includes all the persons who
occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, an
apartment, a mobile home, a group of rooms, or a
single room that is occupied (or if vacant, is intended
for occupancy) as separate living quarters.
Ion-exchange systems: An installation having a water-
softening method often found on a large scale at
water purification plants; the treatment removes some
organics and radium by adding calcium oxide or calcium
hydroxide to increase the pH to a level at which the
metals will precipitate out.
IR sensors: It is an electronic device, which measures
infrared light radiating from objects in its field of view.
They are now being used in the construction of PIR-
based motion detectors installed on taps that activate
as soon as hands come within a few inches above,
below or along the sides of the spout.
KPA: KiloPascal is a unit of measuring pressure.
Lake beds: Refers to the bottom of a lake—the depression
forming the ground under a lake.
Lakes: An inland body of usually fresh water, larger than
a pool or pond, generally formed by some obstruction
in the course of flowing water. This could be naturally
occurring or man-made.
Landscape: The art of arranging or modifying the existing
features of (an area of land, a highway, and so on), to
improve its appearance by planting trees, shrubs, or
grass or altering the contours of the ground.
Lawns: A lawn is an area of recreational or amenity land
planted with grass, and sometimes clover and other
plants, which are maintained at a low, even height.
Lawns are a standard feature of ornamental private
and public gardens and landscapes in much of the world
today.
Leakage (water-related): Wastage of water from
dysfunctionaldysfunctional water appliances/fixtures
due to chinks, breaches or loosening of internal

mechanical parts leading to constant unintended
dripping, seepage or outflow of water.
Low-flow fixtures: Low-flow fixtures use high pressure
and/or aeration to produce a comfortable, pleasing flow
without using much water. There are two main types of
low-flow faucets and showerheads—aerating (the most
popular) and non-aerating. Aerating mixes air into the
water stream. This maintains steady pressure so the
flow has an even, full shower spray. Non-aerating adds a
pulse to the water stream delivering a strong spray.
Llpcd: Litres per capita per day. A unit that denotes the
average daily water quantity usage/supply by a single
person.
Mm head: Metres head is a unit to measure pressure
available to a shower head. The higher the metre head,
the greater will be the pressure with which the shower
head operates.
Mg/l: Milligrams per litre is the unit used to measure the
dissolved and suspended solids present in water. WHO
recommends various TDS (total disolved solids) and TSS
levels for water quality intended for various purposes.
Micro-irrigation systems: Micro-irrigation refers to low-
pressure irrigation systems that spray, mist, sprinkle
or drip. The term ‘micro-irrigation’ describes a family
of irrigation systems that apply water through small
devices. These devices deliver water onto the soil surface
very near the plant or below the soil surface directly into
the plant root zone. In urban landscapes, micro-irrigation
is widely used with ornamental plantings.
Municipal water: Purified and chlorinated water supplied
by the local utility agency and delivered to various
buildings. In Hyderabad, municipal water refers to
water supplied by HMWSSB through piped water
connections to individual buildings or PSPs (public stand
posts.
Native species: Any plant species that occurs and grows
naturally in a specific region or locality. Native plant
species do not require watering other than during the
initial years of establishment.
Network coverage: This refers to the extent of
connectivity of a politico-geographical area to the
utility provided pure drinking water supply, existing
in the area. It is expressed as a percentage of the
total area covered by the network of water supply
connections given.
Pathogenic: Capable of causing disease. Pathogens are
mMicroorganisms that can cause disease in other
organisms or in humans, other animals, and plants. They
may be bacteria, viruses, or parasites and are found
in sewage, in runoff from animal farms or rural areas
populated with domestic or wild animals, and in water
used for swimming.
Physical feasibility: This term refers to the issue of
considering feasibility of a proposed option with respect
to its physical implementation—availability of physical
components, external constraints, interaction and
compatibility with existing and other systems, and so
on.
59
Piped connections: This refers to one type of water
supply connections given by the corresponding utility
in an Indian city. The purified and chlorinated water is
supplied to valid connections via piped network running
from the supply source to the supply destination,
which is usually through valves/taps installed in the
destination building.
Potable water: Water that is safe for drinking and cooking.
Rainwater collection and reuse: Collection and re-use or
recycling of rainwater mainly from the building rooftop
for the purpose of garden irrigation, car washing,
toilet flushing, and so on. Infrastructure installation for
water collection and storage, filtration and reuse to
implement this system of harvesting rain water will be
required. With an efficient filtration system in place,
the collected rain water may even be used for potable
purposes.
Rainwater harvesting system: It is defined as an induced
human activity involving collection and storage of
rainwater in some natural or artificial container either
for immediate use or use before the onset of the next
monsoon.
Recycled water: Water taken from any waste (effluent)
stream and treated to a level suitable for further use,
where it is used safely and sustainably for beneficial
purposes. This is a general term that can incudedinclude
reclaimed water.
RO systems: An installation with a water treatment
process used in small water systems by adding pressure
to force water through a semi-permeable membrane,
RO (reverse osmosis) removes most drinking water
contaminants. It is also used in wastewater treatment.
Large-scale RO plants are now being developed.
Shower: A plumbing fixture with an overhead nozzle
that sprays water down on the body with accelerated
pressure.
Sprinkler irrigation: Irrigation by pumping water under
pressure through nozzles and spraying it over the land
is called sprinkler irrigation. There are several types
of portable sprinklers, and each type is best suited to
certain lawn shapes and landscape configurations.
TDS: It refer to disintegrated organic and inorganic
material contained in water. Excessive amounts
make water unfit for drinking or for use in industrial
processes.
Vegetated area: An area or part of any site that has
plantation or greenery on it in any form, that is, grass,
plants, trees, and so on.
Water consumption calculator: A customized and user-
friendly calculator has been designed for professional
sand public to calculate their water consumption levels
in various sectors, viz., wWater fixtures, waste water
treatment, rainwater harvesting, landscape water
requirement, and so on. It has been developed to aid in
understanding the conventional consumption patterns
and highlights areas where water conservation can be
practiced and achieved, following implementation of
the Guidelines.
60
Water demand: The total amount of water required
to satisfy/fulfill the various daily needs – physical or
industrial or commercial –, of any community, which
is the basis of volume determination of water supply
requirements for inhabitants of a politico-geographical
area, that is, village, town, city, and so on.
Water treatment/ filtration/ purification systems: Various
mechanical, electrical or other systems/installations
employing different technologies to purify water to
the desired quality, determined by the end use of the
same. Various water treatment/purification systems are
filtration, boiling, demineralization, activated carbon
filtration, RO systems, ion-exchange systems, nano
filtration systems, UV filtration systems, and so on.
Water- efficient showerheads: They refer to low-flow
showerheads that can reduce home water consumption
costs by as much as 50%. Low-flow showerheads either
draw in air, or have it forced into the water stream
by using compressed air. The air-water mixture under
pressure creates a high velocity spray, which makes
it seem like more water is coming out than there
actually is.
Water- saving potential: It refers to the potential/
possibility of saving water by implementing various
water conserving practices, and is expressed as a
percentage of the total water volume that is required
to operate the systems with conventional practices.
Xeriscape: Landscaping designed specifically for areas that
are susceptible to drought or where water conservation
is practiced. It refers to gardening in ways that reduce
or eliminate the need for supplemental irrigation.
Derived from the Greek xeros meaning ‘dry’, the term
xeriscape means literally ‘dry landscape’.
Stom water management
Amenity: A feature that adds value or perceived value
to something. For example, a swimming pool is an
important amenity of many apartment complexes..
Breast height: To allow measurements of tree trunk size to
be compared, a standard point on the trunk is defined.
It is important that this point is at a convenient height
near the ground and that it can be reliably located (and
relocated) by different measurers. This standard height
is termed breast height. The diameter of the stem of a
tree measured at breast height (4.5ft or 1.37m) from
the ground.
Catchment neighbourhoods: Communities, developments,
areas that are developed for habitation around
catchment areas of surface water bodies, viz., lakes.
Channels: Trenches or grooves that carry water from one
place to another; they could be natural drainage channels
or man-made to satisfy any specific requirement.
Clogging agent: A material that aids the obstruction or
hinders the motion of any liquid passing through a
surface
Critical Slope area: The maximum angle with the
horizontal at which a sloped bank of soil of a given
height will remain undeformedunreformed without
some form of support.
Detention ponds: Depressed landscaped areas used to
detain storm water runoff during heavy rainstorms. A
detention pond is a low lying area that is designed to
temporarily hold a set amount of water while slowly
draining to another location. They are used for flood
control when large amounts of rain could cause flash
flooding if not dealt with properly.
Drainage pattern: The configuration of a natural or
artificial drainage network that drain a watershed
Effluent: Wastewater — treated or untreated — that flows
out of a treatment plant, sewer, or industrial
Filter strips: Filter strips are land areas of either planted
or indigenous vegetation, situated between a potential,
pollutant-source area, and a surface-water body that
receives runoff.
Flash floods: A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic
low-lying areas—washes, rivers, and streams. It is
caused by heavy rain associated with a thunderstorm or
tropical storm.
Flora and Fauna: Plants considered as a group, especially
the plants of a particular country, region, or time are
termed as Flora and animals, especially the animals of
a particular region or period, considered as a group are
termed as Fauna.
Fresh water resources: Sources of water that are
useful or potentially useful to humans that include
agricultural, industrial, household, recreational, and
environmental activities. Fresh water resources are
renewable and are contained as surface water (rivers,
lakes, streams), ground water, and frozen water
(glaciers and polar caps) on earth.
Grading: The act or method of changing the natural or
existing surface of ground level to a smooth horizontal
or gently sloping surface to the desired level is called
grading or leveling.
Grass pavers: Cellular blocks with grass growing in the
voids. These are mostly used for external paving viz.,
compounds of factories, office complex, gardens, and
so on. They need extensive maintenance and have good
infiltration capacity.
Gravel: A loose mixture of pebbles and rock fragments
coarser than sand, often mixed with clay, and so on.
Green roofs: Green roofs are rooftops planted with
vegetation. Intensive green roofs have thick layers of
soil (6 to 12 inches or more) that can support a broad
variety of plant or even tree species. Extensive roofs
are simpler green roofs with a soil layer of 6 inches or
less to support turf, grass, or other ground cover.
Ground water recharge: The supply of fresh water found
beneath the earth’s surface (usually in aquifers), is
known as ground water. Any intervention that leads
to increasing the ground water levels or aids the
availability of ground water at shallower depths is
understood to facilitate ground water recharge.
Hard paving: Paving made with impervious, hard, and
durable surface materials such as stone, ceramic tiles,

concrete, and so on. The construction joints are also
sealed completely to make the surface long-lasting and
strong. Hard paving contributes to increased runoff
from building sites and also adds to increasing the
Urbanurban heat Island effect.
Illegal encroachment: Encroachment is the situation that
exists when a structure is built in whole or in part on a
property that is not legally owned by the owner.
Impervious: A quality of a material that does not allow
water to penetrate through it.
Infiltration rate: The quantity of water that can enter the
soil in a specified time interval
Infiltration technique: The penetration of water through
the ground surface into sub-surface soil is termed as
iInfiltration and the various techniques that aid this
phenomenon are called iInfiltration techniques.
Infiltration trenches and basins: Two slightly altered
techniques that use the infiltration method of
controlling storm water runoff from site.
Land contamination: Land contamination is a broad term
used to describe situations where elevated levels of
contaminants are present in land due to industrial use,
waste disposal, accidents or spillages, aerial deposition
or migration of contaminants from adjacent areas.
Land use planning: The long-term development or
conservation of an area and the establishment of a
relationship between local objectives and regional
goals is the main objective of Land use planning. Land-
use planning is often guided by laws and regulations.
The major instrument for current land-use planning
is the establishment of zones that divide an area into
districts, which are subject to specified regulations.
Low-lying area: Area having little or no elevation above a
surface or level, especially ground level or water level
mm/hour: Millimetres per hour is the standard unit of
measuring rainfall intensity.
Natural drainage: The naturally occurring channelled flow
formed by land contours and ridges and then streams
and rivers, which removes water from the land surface.
Natural site contours/topography: Naturally occurring
elevations and surface features of a site. The study
and recording of these features on a map is termed of
topography.
Natural water courses: Natural channel through which
water flows to the receiving water bodies outfall;
generally refers to wastes discharged into surface
waters.
Percolation capacity: Percolation is the movement of
water downward and radially through the subsurface
soil layers, usually continuing downward to the
groundwater. The capacity of a surface material or
the soil itself to allow percolation into the sub-soil is
percolation capacity.
Percolation pit: One of the easiest and most effective
forms of rain water harvesting are designed on the
basis of expected runoff and filled with pebbles or brick
jelly, and river sand and covered with perforated slabs
wherever necessary
61
Pergola: A framework of cross rafters or latticework on an
open roof supported on posts or columns, usually with
climbing vines
Permeable/pervious pavements: Permeability is the rate
at which liquids pass through soil or other materials in
a specified direction. Permeable/pervious paving refers
to a range of materials and techniques for paving roads,
parking lots and walkways that allow the movement of
water and air around the paving material.
Planters: Containers hold saplings or plants that are used
for vegetating any surrounding
Pollutant concentration: A measure of the amount of a
polluting substance in a given amount of water, soil, air,
food or other medium.
Precipitation: Any and all forms of water, whether liquid
or solid, those fall from the atmosphere and reach the
eEarth’s surface. A day with measurable precipitation/
rainfall is a day when the water equivalent of the
precipitation is equal to or greater than 0.2 mm/hour.
Quarrying: The process of extracting stone for
commercial use from natural rock deposits is called
quarrying. The extracted material is used for various
purposes, including construction, ornamentation, road
building, and as an industrial raw material.
Receiving water course: A river, lake, ocean, stream, or
other watercourse into which wastewater or stormwater
run off goes to.
Reseeding: To sow similar seed on the same surface or
area again.
Retention ponds: A retention pond is designed to hold a
specific amount of water indefinitely. Usually the pond
is designed to have drainage leading to another location
when the water level gets above the pond capacity, but
still maintains a certain capacity.
Ridgelines: They are formed at the intersection of two
slopes, dividing the drainage basins of separate water
bodies. Their existence is critical because they form
natural drainage channels that carry runoff into the
receiving water bodies.
Runoff volume and rate: The quantity of the total runoff
emerging from a particular site during a rainfall event is
termed as runoff volume and is expressed in cubic metres
or thousand litres. The time taken by the total runoff to
finally leave a particular site gives the runoff rate. Both
runoff volume and rate are directly proportional to the
imperviousness and built-up area onsite.
Scale (on appliances): The whitish hard deposits left
behind by dissolved calcium and magnesium salts in
water are primarily responsible for most scaling in
pipes and water heaters and cause numerous problems
in laundry, kitchen, and bath.
Sediment: Solid fragments of inorganic or organic material
that come from the weathering of rock and are carried
and deposited by wind or water.
Silt: Fine particles of sand or rock that can be picked up
by the air or water and deposited as sediment.
Site disturbance: Any man-made activity that alters a
site’s natural contours, elevations, vegetation cover or
62
any other features can be termed as site disturbance.
Softeners: Chemical agents or solutions that are used as
additives to water to reduce the hardness, to render
the water more utilitarian are called softeners.
Soil erosion: Soil erosion is the wearing away of the land
surface by physical forces such as rainfall, flowing
water, wind, ice, temperature change, gravity or other
natural or anthropogenic agents.
Solar radiation: Energy that is radiated or transmitted in
the form of rays or waves or particles
Storm water drainage management: Stormwater is of
concern for two main issues—one related to the volume
and timing of runoff water (flood control and water
supplies) and the other related to potential contaminants
that the water is carrying, that is, water pollution.
Storm water drainage management includes practices
developed in an attempt to reduce the negative impacts
of storm water on stream and watershed health.
Storm water: Stormwater is a term used to describe water
that originates during precipitation events. Stormwater
that does not soak into the ground becomes surface
runoff, which either flows directly into receiving water
bodies or is channeled into storm water drains, which
eventually discharge to surface waters.
Sub-soil/sub strata: The layer of earth immediately below
the top soil, consisting predominantly of minerals
and leached materials such as iron and aluminium
compounds.
Sub-surface storage: Water that is stored below the
surface of the earth where either a separate facility
is constructed or its occupies space in soils or geologic
strata.
Surface runoff: That part of precipitation, snowmelt, or
irrigation water that runs off the land into streams or
other surface water; can carry pollutants from the air
and land into the receiving waters.
Sustainable urban drainage systems: Aim to reduce
flooding by managing urban run off in the way most
suited to the specific development. Examples of SUDS
(sustainable urban drainage system) measures include:
excavation of swales, basins, ponds and soak-aways;
permeable paving or other pervious surfaces, and
planting of reed beds/wetlands.
Urban Heat Island Effect: The well-known phenomenon
allusive to the atmospheric temperature rise
experienced by any urbanized area. The heat island
phenomenon has been commonly associated to cities,
because their surfaces are characterized by low albedo,
high impermeability and favourable thermal properties
for the energy storage and heat release.
Urbanization: Urbanization is an index of transformation
from traditional rural agrarian economies to modern
industrial ones.
Vacuum sweeping machine: An appliance that cleans
outdoor areas, mainly pavements, roads, parking areas,
and so on, by suction so as to remove particulate
matter and rid the surface of any clogging of the pores.
Variance: A variance is an exception to a zoning/ rule/
order restriction, which allows use of the land outside
the requirements of the zoning for that area. A variance
application generally included the premise and degree
of deviation from an established set of rules.
Vegetated roof/ green roof: Roofs that are vegetated ,
and have plant life growing on them are also called
green roofs. Green roofs last longer than conventional
roofs, reduce energy costs with natural insulation,
create peaceful retreats for people and animals, and
absorb storm water, potentially lessening the need for
complex and expensive drainage systems.
Water logging: Water stagnating on ground, site or roads
with no draining route or because of flooding. This
generally occurs during flash floods in low lying areas
where drainage channels are altered.
Water pollution: The man-made or man-induced alteration
of the physical, biological, and radiological integrity of
water.
Water scarcity: This is a relative concept describing
the relationship between demand for water and its
availability. It can be defined as a situation where there
is insufficient water to satisfy normal requirements.
Water-holding capacity: The ability of the soil to retain or
store water. Generally, the term is applied to systems
that act as infiltration instruments, for example, lakes.
Wetlands: Constructed wetlands for the purpose of
storm water management are a further enhancement
of retention ponds, and incorporate shallow areas
planted with marsh or wetland vegetation. These
provide a much greater degree of filtering and removal
of nutrients by algae and, to a lesser extent, by
incorporation into plant material.
Sewage management
Aerobic: Life or processes that require, or are not
destroyed by, the presence of oxygen
Anaerobic: A life or process that occurs in, or is not
destroyed by, the absence of oxygen
Aquifer: An underground geological formation,, or group of
formations, containing usable amounts of groundwater
that can supply wells and springs
Biomethanization: Production of methane gas from bio-
degradable material by anaerobic digestion of municipal
solid waste is called Bio-methanization.
Chlorides: Compounds of chlorine, which is a highly
reactive halogen element, used most often in the form
of a pungent gas to disinfect drinking water
Compliance: The state of being in accordance with
established guidelines, specifications or legislation or
the process of becoming so
Discharge: The releasing of any liquid, generally effluent
from a treatment process or untreated wastewater into
an intended or unplanned destination by connecting to
the same
Disposal: Final placement or destruction of toxic,
radioactive or other wastes; surplus or banned
pesticides or other chemicals; polluted soils. Disposal

may be accomplished through use of approved secure
landfills, surface impoundments, land farming, deep
well injection, ocean dumping or incineration.
Dual plumbing: Separate piping systems installed for
fresh water and recycled/treated grey or black water
reuse within a facility, which could be water usage
areas in the building or site like toilets, wash areas,
landscaping, and so on.
Effective microorganisms: EM (effective microorganism)
technology as it is is trademarked now uses a laboratory
cultured mixture of micro organisms, which coexist
for the benefit of whichever environment they are
introduced, and is being extensively used in sewage and
solid waste treatment.
Fertilizer: Materials such as nitrogen and phosphorus
that provide nutrients for plants. Commercially sold
fertilizers may contain other chemicals or may be in the
form of processed sewage sludge.
Grey water: Wastewater from clothes, washing machines,
showers, bathtubs, hand washing and sinks, but not
sewage
Groundwater: The supply of fresh water found beneath
the earth’s surface (usually in aquifers), which is often
accessed through wells and springs
Irrigation: Technique for applying water or wastewater to
land areas to supply the water and nutrient needs of
plants
Land application: Discharge of wastewater onto the
ground for treatment or reuse
Landfill: Landfills are land disposal sites for non-hazardous
solid wastes at which wastes are spread in layers,
compacted to the smallest practical volume, and
covered at the end of each operating day
Manure: Material, especially organic refuse, often with
discarded animal dung, used to fertilize soil
On-site: The performance of any related activity, either
during construction or operation and maintenance on
the construction/ building site itself is termed as an
‘on-site’ activity.
Operation and maintenance: Actions taken after
construction to ensure that facilities constructed
to treat wastewater will be properly operated,
maintained, and managed to achieve efficiency levels
and prescribed effluent levels in an optimum manner
Organic: Referring to or derived from living organisms. In
chemistry, any compound containing carbon
pH: A measure of both acidity and alkalinity on a scale
of 0–14, with seven representing neutrality; numbers
less than seven indicate increasing acidity and numbers
greater than seven indicate increasing alkalinity. Acid
rain can increase the pH level of the water in a lake,
thereby, killing all life.
Potable water: Water that is safe for drinking and cooking
Recharge (groundwater): The addition of water to
an aquifer by natural or induced measures, so as to
increase it availability levels
Recycle: The process of minimizing the generation
63
of waste by recovering usable products that might
otherwise become wastes
Regulations: Principles, rules or laws designed to control
or govern conduct aimed at achieving social wellbeing
Residual: Amount of a pollutant remaining in the
environment after a natural or technological process
has taken place, for example, the sludge remaining
after initial wastewater treatment, or particulates
remaining in air after the air passes through a scrubbing
or other pollutant removal process
Retrofitting: The process of addition of new technology or
features to older systems to enhance or optimize their
performance
Reuse: The additional use of a component, part, or
product after it has been removed from a clearly
defined service cycle. Reuse does not include
reformation. However, cleaning, repair or refurbishing
may be done between uses.
Sewage: The waste and wastewater produced by
residential and commercial establishments and
discharged into sewers
Sewer: A channel or conduit that carries wastewater and
storm water runoff from the source to a treatment
plant or receiving stream. Sanitary sewers carry
household, industrial, and commercial wastes. Storm
sewers carry runoff from rain or snow. Combined sewers
are used for both purposes.
Sludge: A semisolid residue from any of a number of air or
water treatment processes. Sludge can be a hazardous
waste.
Suspended solids: Small particles of solid pollutants that
float on the surface of or are suspended in sewage or
other liquids. They resist removal by conventional means.
Sustainable: Development that ensures that the use
of resources and the environment today does not
compromise their use in the future
Temperature: The degree of hotness or coldness of a body
or material.
Volatile: Description of any substance that evaporates
readily
Waste water treatment: A facility containing a series of
tanks, screens, filters, and other processes by which
pollutants are removed from water
Waste water: Water that carries wastes from homes,
businesses, and industries. It is usually a mixture of
water and dissolved or suspended solids.
Building material
Building materials: Refers to various materials used for
constructing buildings
Compressed earth blocks: CEB (compressed earth blocks),
are construction blocks made with clay, sand, and a
stabilizing ingredient such as lime or Portland cement.
The earth mixture is poured into a hydraulic press
machine. Since they are machine-made, compressed
earth blocks are uniform in size and shape.
64
Ecology: The relationship of living things to one another
and their environment or the study of such relationships
Embodied energy: Energy required to extract, process,
package, transport, install, and recycle or dispose off
materials that make up a building’s construction.
Environmental footprint: The environmental impact
that an entity makes as it performs any activity. A
footprint is determined by how well raw materials or
by-products are or are not absorbed by the surrounding
environment.
Ferro-cement systems: A thin shell of highly reinforced
Portland cement mortar. Generally, ferroFerro cement
shells range from 1/2 inch to 2 inches in thickness,
and the reinforcement consists of layers of steel mesh,
usually with steel reinforcing bars sandwiched midway
between
Fly ash: Non-combustible residual particles from the
combustion process carried by flue gas
Lumber: Wood or wood products used for construction
Masonry: Construction achieved through the use of units
of various natural or artificial mineral products, such
as stone, brick or concrete. The term may be applied
to the craft itself or to the finished product. Nowadays
good quality fly ash is available from thermal power
plants, which are processed and used in manufacturing
of PPC (Portland pozzolana cement).
Portland pozzolona cement: It is obtained by either inter-
grinding a pozzolanic material with clinker and gypsum
or by blending ground pozzolana with Portland cement.
Precast systems: Components which are cast and partly
matured in a factory or on the site before being lifted
into their final position on a structure. Precasting
increases the strength and finish durability of the
member and decreases time and construction costs.
Ready mix concrete: Ready-mix concrete is a type of
concrete that is manufactured in a factory or batching
plant, according to a set recipe, and then delivered to a
worksite, by truck mounted transit mixers.
Reinforced cement: Poured concrete (a strong hard
building material composed of sand, gravel, cement,
and water) containing steel bars or metal netting to
increase its tensile strength
Renewable: Resources that have the capacity to be
naturally replenished despite being harvested (for
example, forests, fish). The supply of these resources
can, in theory, never be exhausted, usually because it is
continuously produced
Salvaged timber: Second-hand timber; also called
reclaimed timber. Timber available for harvest in
connection with incidental development, geological or
geo-physical exploration or acts of nature
Ecology and geological conservation
Accredited geologist: A professionally qualified and
certified scientist, who, by virtue of his/her education
and experience is eligible to survey, analyse and advise
appropriately regarding the geological suitability/
viability of developmental plans of a particular site
Aesthetic quality: The visual and functional appeal of a
natural or man-made asset that increases the perceived
quality of the same
Air quality: A measurement of the pollutants in the air; a
description of healthiness and safety of the atmosphere
Basement: One or more floors of a building that are
either completely or partially below the ground floor.
Basements are typically used as utility spaces where
such items as car parking, air conditioning system, and
electrical distribution systems are located.
Biodiversity: The variety of different living organisms
from all sources including terrestrial, marine and
other aquatic ecosystems and the variety of different
ecosystems that they form. This includes diversity
within species, between species and of ecosystems, and
the genetic variability of each species.
Black cotton soil: Soil type that is characterized by high
clay content, absorb water heavily, swell, become soft,
lose strength, easily compressible and is unsuitable for
construction activities generally.
Conservation zone: A designated area of local, national or
global architectural, historic or ecological importance,
the character and appearance of which is desirable to
preserve or enhance
Construction runoff/ waste water: Runoff that is
generated due to water used in various construction
related activities on a site, viz., curing, concrete and
mortar mixing, etc. Due to the nature of the various
chemicals used in manufacturing various building
materials, construction runoff is highly polluted and
laden with sediments.
Contaminated material: Material that is polluted by
hazardous or non-hazardous chemicals and cannot be
accepted for its
Demarcation: The setting or marking of boundaries or
limits to delineate a specified area from a larger area
Divert: The act of changing a natural course or
intentionally creating a directional channel to allow
material to be carried from one point to another.
Dust pollution: Air pollution caused by dust particles
Ecosystems: Natural unit consisting of all plants, animals
and micro-organisms in an area functioning together
with all the physical factors of the environment. It is a
unit of inter-dependent organisms which share the same
habitat.
Effective planting: Planting vegetation that is most
suitable for the soil characteristics and the local
climate, and it also gives the additional benefit of
preventing soil erosion and conserving the top soil
Erosion control: The wearing away of land surface by
wind, water, glaciers, chemicals, and exposure to
the atmosphere. Erosion occurs naturally but can
be intensified by land-clearing practices related to
farming, residential or industrial development, road
building or deforestation.
Evolution: A gradual process in which something changes
into a different and usually more complex or better form

Geology: Science that deals with the origin, history, and
structure of the earth, including the study of rocks and
minerals
Hazardous: Any material/ substance that can pose a
substantial or potential hazard to human health or the
environment when improperly managed
Heritage: A property, structure, culture or something that
defines the unique identity of a place and comes or
belongs to a community by virtue of birth or living in it.
Hydrological regime: The natural behavioral pattern
of water movement over the surface and below it,
consisting of magnitude, flow direction and timing,
and so on that that define the water resource scenario
of a region. The geology, climate, and the ecological
activities of the region have a high bearing to the
formation of this regime.
Inventory: An evaluation or a survey consisting of a
detailed, itemized list, report or record of assets or
resources making up a particular property
Landscape architect: One whose profession is the
decorative and functional alteration and planting
of grounds, especially at or around a building site.
Landscape architects are concerned with improving the
ways in which people interact with the landscape, as
well as with reducing the negative impacts that human
use has upon sensitive landscapes.
Mature tree: A tree that has reached a desired size or age
for its intended use. Size, age or economic maturity
varies depending on the species and intended use. It
also refers to a tree that has a well-developed tree
canopy (that is, mature canopy). Smaller trees are
usually considered ‘mature’ at 20 years and for larger
trees, 25 years.
Micro habitats: A small, localized habitat within a larger
ecosystem, as a decomposing log in a forest, having
conditions that sustain a limited range of animals and
plants
Migratory birds: Birds travelling from one place to another
at regular times of the year, often over long distances.
Mulch: Any loose material placed over the soil to control
weeds and conserve soil moisture. Usually this is a
coarse organic matter, such as leaves, clippings or bark,
but plastic sheeting and other commercial products can
also be used. If placed around plants, mulch provides
additional benefits, including the diminution of erosion
and water loss, and the regulation of soil temperature.
Non-invasive: Species, which are able to proliferate and
aggressively alter or displace indigenous biological
communities.
Non-native: Not indigenous or originating from a particular
area
Onsite treatment plant: A treatment facility set up on
the very site that is generating the waste water/runoff,
so that conveying the untreated water to a common
facility or disposing without treatment can be avoided.
Percolate: The property of a material/system that allows
liquid to pass through or drain through small holes
65
Peripheral areas: Areas on or near an edge or constituting
an outer boundary of a central location
Preservation: The act or process of safeguarding any
resource from injury, destruction or decay
Rainfall intensity: The amount of rainfall occurring in a
unit of time, usually expressed in inches or millimetres
per hour
Recreational space: A public space that is allocated
and designed for recreational purposes. For example,
parks, auditoria, galleries, river and lake fronts, and
so on
Regulated green zones: Earmarked or designated zones
protected by law where specific human activities are
restricted for want of protecting and enhancing the
ecological value of the same
Remote sensing: The use of satellites to gather data,
images, and so, so as to study various phenomena on
earth or other bodies of the solar system
Replantation: To plant again or in a new place; refers to
compensatory replantation in the event of unavoidable
removal of a tree/ plant from a particular site
Rock formations: Isolated, scenic or spectacular
surface roof outcrops. These are usually the result of
weathering and erosion sculpting the existing rock over
millions of years.
Rock gardens: Rock gardens really offer some of the most
spectacular garden vistas. Along with extensive usage
of rocks and stones the plants native to the rocky or
alpine environments are featured in the rock gardens
or rockeries. The rock garden is usually observed as a
pile of rocks of different sizes that are aesthetically
arranged with small gaps being introduced in between
them for planting of flora.
Rock stabilization: The application of various techniques
to make an unstable rock slope or structure, stable, and
safe
Sapling: A young tree; specifically one that is not over four
inches in diameter at breast height
Sedimentation pit: A temporary pit, which is constructed
to trap the sediments coming from construction runoff
so that it is filtered before being disposed or further
treated
Seeding: To sprinkle with seed or sow seeds for developing
any vegetation
Settlement: A community of people living together, that is
smaller than a town
Site planning: The organizational stage of planning any
site development. It includes outlining of all structures
along with site improvements, such as driveways,
parking lots, landscaping, and utility connections.
Soil characteristics: The various physical, chemical,
hydrological, and geological characteristics of soil types
that collectively determine its suitability for supporting
plant life and other site developments
Soil pollution: Build-up of soils of persistent toxic
compounds, chemicals, salts, radio-active materials, or
disease causing agents, which have adverse effects on
plant growth and animal health
66
Spillages: The accidental causing of falling or draining of
liquids
Stabilizing material: Material used to cover soil to give
additional support or stability and prevent it from
eroding away from slopes, in case of rainfall or other
causes, and so on.
Survey: The collection of data from a given population
for the purpose of analysis of a particular issue. Data
is often collected from only a sample of a population,
which is known as a sample survey.
Swales: Low tract of land, especially one that is moist
and marshy. The term can refer to a natural landscape
feature or a human-created one. When created
specifically, this open drain system is usually designed
to manage runoff.
Top soil conservation: The activity or the process
of removing and protecting the top soil from any
construction or development site for reusing it onsite
later on for developing a landscape; basically done to
conserve the top soil that have high geological value.
Transplantation: The process of digging up a plant/tree
and moving it to another location
Urban niches: Niche or specialized zones in urban areas
that are assemblages of various native ecological
factors (water, food, energy, land, climate, and so
on) and ecological relationships (quality of life, inter-
relations with other life systems, and so on)
Others
Particulate: Fine liquid or solid particles, such as dust,
smoke, mist, fumes or smog, found in air or emissions
Comfort visual, thermal, noise level, air quality
Energy Sewage Ecology and geology
  

Water Comfort Building materials

Storm water Pollution Water
Solid waste management Ecology and geology
Building materials
Like other cities, Hyderabad has been growing at an extremely fast rate. The ever-increasing
population is exerting tremendous pressure on the existing resources and infrastructure facilities. This
has led to negative impacts on the natural environment of Hyderabad. Given this backdrop, the HMDA
(Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority) initiated the development of EBRGs (Environmental
Building Regulation Guidelines) in association with TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) and
Terraviridis Environmental Building Design Consultants, in order to promote the design, construction,
and retrofit of habitats and buildings that are environmentally sustainable and help in minimizing their
impacts on the environment in the Greater Hyderabad area.

This booklet aims to provide a concise summary of the ERBGs in an easy-to-understand format.
EBRGs cover various aspects of sustainable design at the building level, as well as the neighbourhood
levels. These guidelines attempt to provide information and direction to various stakeholders in order to
create an environment-friendly sustainable habitat. Divided into various sub-heads – energy, comfort,
water, storm water, sewage, solid waste management, pollution, ecology and geology, and materials
– the booklet contains simple solutions and tips to improve the energy and resource performance of
the new as well as existing buildings.

Comfort visual, thermal, noise level, air quality)

  

Energy Water Building materials

Sewage Ecology and geology
Comfort Pollution Water
  
visual, thermal, noise level, air quality) Sewage
Storm water Solid waste management