Bhubaneswar: Odisha Lok Bhavan in Bhubaneswar has become the first Lok Bhavan in the country to receive Platinum certification under the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Green Campus Rating System.
The certification recognises Lok Bhavan’s efforts towards sustainable and eco-friendly infrastructure. The campus scored 88 out of 100 points, placing it in the highest category of the IGBC rating system.
At a programme held at the New Abhishek Hall of Lok Bhavan on Tuesday, Odisha Governor Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati received the certificate from IGBC National Chairman C. Shekar Reddy.
Addressing the media, Governor Kambhampati said the recognition was a matter of pride for Odisha and reflected the collective effort to transform Lok Bhavan into a green campus.
He said measures related to greenery, clean energy generation and use, and electric vehicles were among the initiatives recognised under the certification.
The governor also said all recommended measures had been implemented at Lok Bhavan, enabling the campus to secure the highest rating.
Kambhampati said he would show the certificate to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his upcoming visit to Delhi. He also expressed hope that the achievement would inspire other institutions to adopt sustainable measures and pursue green certification.
Governor Kambhampati called upon universities in Odisha to obtain green certification and play a greater role in creating environmental awareness.
He said thousands of students graduate from universities every year and could become ambassadors of environmental protection.
The governor also highlighted Lok Bhavan’s renewable energy initiatives. The campus currently has an installed solar power system with a capacity of 635 kilowatt peak.
He encouraged greater use of rooftop solar systems in homes and institutions. Referring to solar energy use in Germany, he noted that Odisha receives sunshine for nearly 300 days a year and stressed the need to harness this resource.
As part of its green transformation, Odisha Lok Bhavan has also adopted a fully electric-vehicle-run cavalcade. It has become the first Lok Bhavan in the country where the governor’s cavalcade has been completely converted to electric vehicles.
Plans are also underway to install small windmills within the Lok Bhavan premises to further increase the use of renewable energy.
The governor further said greater use of renewable energy would help steer the campus further towards clean energy.
Steps will also be taken to secure green certification for the Lok Bhavan in Puri. As a first step, a proposal has been made to install a 100-kilowatt solar power plant there.
Speaking at the same programme, Law, Works and Excise Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said the governor’s commitment to environmental protection had taken concrete shape through Raj Bhavan’s green transformation.
He said the recognition was a matter of pride for Odisha and would encourage government departments to incorporate green measures while planning government buildings in the future.
Additional Chief Secretary of the Energy Department Vishal Kumar Dev, Principal Secretary of the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department Bhaskar Jyoti Sharma, Commissioner to the Governor-cum-Secretary Dr. Roopa Roshan Sahoo, vice-chancellors of various universities, senior IGBC officials and media representatives were present on the occasion.
