Experts bat for green infrastructure in urban India

PANAJI - Development of infrastructure in urban India should be environment-friendly with structured sewage and garbage disposal systems, experts said here Thursday.

“Infrastructure development in urban India should not only be eco-friendly, but also focus on well-structured sewage and safe garbage system, adequate parking areas and environment-friendly buildings,” Goa Tourism Deputy Director Pamela Mascarenhas said while inaugurating the three-day “Urban Planning and Real Estate Leadership Summit”.

Echoing Mascarenhas, noted architect and urban planner Naresh Narasimhan said the need of the hour was environment-friendly development in place of unplanned growth of real estate in cities and towns across the country.

“Even as other sectors of the economy grow exponentially, infrastructure growth in terms of real estate is lagging behind. As a result, we are caught between urgent development and holistic development though they are not mutually exclusive,” Narasimhan told about 200 delegates participating in the third edition of the summit.

Over the next two days, policymakers, strategists, officials and industry experts will deliberate on water, energy, waste management and other issues dogging the planned growth of urban India.

Organised by independent urban planning body Global Initiative for Restructuring Environment and Management (GIREM), the summit has emerged as a unique platform for stakeholders in the industry, including corporate end-users of office, commercial and retail space, developers, architects, consultants and investers.

Noting that development cannot take place in isolation, real estate major DLF Goa head Ravi Rajan said adequate infrastructure with utilities and services were essential for the planned growth of urban areas.

The summit will also discuss the latest trends in the industry, exchange ideas on various issues that confront urban planning and real estate growth in the country.

“The event will explore a multi-dimensional approach to issues of commercial office space, location, special economic zones (SEZ) and impact of real estate business,” GIRM president Shyam Sundar said.

The summit will also focus on the concerns of the realty sector, provide insight into the future of real estate and a draw a roadmap for the organised growth of the industry.

“The response to the summit has been encouraging. We are expecting more participants to join the deliberations during the next two days,” Sundar said.

The summit will witness presentations by global financial and professional services major Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) India chairman Anuj Puri, Red Fort Capital managing director Parry Singh and Kotak Realty director (Investments) Hari Krishna.