Hyderabad: CII-IGBC launches Green High-Speed Rail Rating System

Gachbowli: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-Indian Green Building Council has launched the IGBC Green High-Speed Rail Rating System during an exclusive session with the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) on Monday.

IGBC appreciates and acknowledges the excellent leadership of Achal Khare, Managing Director, NHSRCL in opening new perspectives on how Indian High-Speed Rail project can become a green role model.

The rating system was launched online by Khare and V Suresh, Chairman, IGBC. The session was attended by officials of NHSRCL, IGBC and industry leaders & expert of transit sector.

Suresh said: "The IGBC Green HSR rating system is a first- of- its- kind in the world and exclusively developed to address the sustainability aspects of High-Speed Rail (HSR) projects. The rating system is developed aligning the requirements with the UN Sustainable Development Goals".

"India has gained the unique distinction of 'Greening the Transit Development like Airports, Metros & now Hi-Speed Rail. IGBC Green MRTS Rating has been developed with the support of MoHUA, DMRC and other Metro Rail Authorities and industry stakeholders.

India is pioneering the green metro movement with 600+ metros stations from 13 metro authorities creating newer benchmarks in embracing the green concepts and setting ambitious environmental targets for the coming decades. Based on the metro experience, IGBC has developed the rating programme for high speed rail projects to facilitate HSR projects to showcase the model of green transit to the world.

Khare said "this exclusive green rating programme for High Speed Rail (HSR) developed by CII-IGBC would help NHSRCL to ensure adoption of unique and futuristic green concepts during designing, construction and operations phases of Mumbai- Ahmedabad HSR corridor.

Rain water harvesting mechanism, solar panels to harness solar power and waste water treatment plants have already been incorporated in the station designs, depots and viaducts construction. The certified green building material, products and equipment will also be used for the construction of HSR."