Construct green buildings to save energy: Narendra Modi

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the state needs to focus on saving energy by making buildings energy-efficient with the help of local innovation and technology. "I am not saying this as a politician or chief minister of the state but as a common man. I need local technology which will help me in conserving energy," he said in his speech on the sidelines of a seminar on 'Energy Efficiency & Thermal Audit' organised by CII, IndextB and the Danish Embassy.

The chief minister also said that government rules and regulations alone are not enough. "Now it is high time that architects and designers wake up and design buildings which will reduce energy consumption drastically," he said.

Modi suggested that architects should take a cue from houses in pols, temples and churches and design houses where less electricity is consumed and use of ACs is minimal. "Countries across the world have started re-using natural resources using local technology. In our case, there is need for local technology," he said.

If necessary steps are not taken, something unexpected may take place because of changing climatic trends. "In the last eight years, arid regions of Gujarat in Kutch have started getting not only good rains but have even experienced floods. If we do not take care of environment in the coming years, we may see snowfall in Kutch," said Modi.

Talking about government guidelines, Denmark ambassador Freddy Svane said that Centre and state should focus on implementation of rules and regulations. "Government has laid down rules for making green buildings. But governments do not implement these rules properly," he said.