[Theme Report] Green Report of RGIA - Hyderabadby Rushitha Satla | 30-06-2022 21:49 |
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 RGIA- Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is the 1st Green Building in the state of Telangana and the first carbon neutral airport in India in its passenger category. RGIA is a first airport in Asia to be certified with silver rating. Green Aspects about RGIA: 1.Ecological Balance: A green belt has been built in an area of 273 hectares with various species. Additionally, 971 hectares of natural greenery has been left intact. A green belt covering 683 acres has been developed in addition to the natural vegetation. These green areas act as carbon sinks, absorbing over 265 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. What is most commendable is that despite passenger and air traffic increasing year after year, RGIA has managed to consistently remain carbon neutral. 2.Energy Conservation: RGIA has saved energy of 3.97 million kWh in the last couple of years thereby reducing carbon footprint by 3331 tons. By finding ways and means to cut down on its power consumption and relying on renewable energy (solar), RGIA has managed to consistently offset its carbon emissions. For starters, the passenger terminal building itself is designed as a green building, allowing illumination by natural light during the day, and diminishing the need for artificial illumination. It has received the ¡®Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design¡¯ (LEED) certification for its unique design, from the United States Green Building Council rated ¡®Silver¡¯. At present, RGIA is in the process of upgrading to the ¡®gold¡¯ category. Two 5MW on-site solar power plants provide 15-20 % of the airport¡¯s energy needs,and reduces dependence on grid electricity. Some of the airlines operating from the airport use solar power for their ground support equipment. For example, some use solar powered electric buses to ferry passengers to and from the aircraft. These buses have the added advantage of being quieter, which also helps control noise and air pollution. The State Road Transport Corporation too has deployed 40 such buses to shuttle passengers between the airport and the city, curbing the need for fume emitting private transport, further cutting down on carbon emissions. 3.Rain Water Harvesting: The net recharge is an approximate at 1.729 million cubic meter per annum. The use of surface water is a decisive factor to water conservation. During the monsoons, the airport¡¯s extensive grounds act as a catchment area for rainwater, which is collected in drains and stored in reservoirs. This also allows for the recharging of groundwater. Three storage tanks, with a total capacity of seven lakh cubic metres collect this water, and reduce the demand on municipal water supply. 4.Recycling: RGIA converted the waste food as compost on the site and turned the disadvantage into anything, but that. Chemical fertilizers gave way to the compost collected from the area. Similarly plastic and paper waste are reused, reprocessed and recycled. 5.Environment friendly Aircraft Management: For the last four years, RGIA has really focussed on how aircraft manoeuvres can be modified to reduce carbon emissions. For example, before and after landing, aircraft now taxi with one engine shut off. This helps airlines cut costs on expensive air fuel as well. The RGIA Air Traffic Control authority has also devised a continuous descent approach for arriving aircraft, in which 30% less fuel is burnt. Pilots are being encouraged to push back from the departure gate without switching on engines. Awards and Certifications: RGIA received a ¡°Certificate of Merit¡± in National Energy Conservation Awards 2011 from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Govt. of India and ¡°Excellent Energy Efficiency unit¡± in National Energy Management Award 2014 from Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for its achievements. It has received the ¡®Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design¡¯ (LEED) certification for its unique design, from the United States Green Building Council rated ¡®Silver¡¯. At present, RGIA is in the process of upgrading to the ¡®gold¡¯ category. |
