Byculla Zoo eyes green status for building

Even as the Byculla zoo makeover project awaits the final nod from the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee,the zoo administration is working to get a green building status for the two-storey interpretation centre.

Even as the Byculla zoo makeover project awaits the final nod from the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC),the zoo administration is working to get a green building status for the two-storey interpretation centre. The move is expected to raise the cost of the Rs 434-crore redevelopment project by 10 per cent,zoo officials said.

The zoo administration was recently granted permission by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to register with Hyderabad-based Indian Green Building Council,a CII-led council involved in promoting green buildings in India,and enter their prestigious Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating. The LEED Green Building Rating System is an internationally accepted benchmark for design,construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

Zoo director Anil Anjankar said the consultants will soon join IGBC and register the interpretation centre for LEED rating. The total investment for this registration is Rs 3.64 lakh. The interpretation centre is a large area and will house the administration building,the veterinary office and all other offices. While we aspire for Platinum rating for the whole project,Gold seems more feasible right now, he said. Other buildings may also be considered for LEED later,officials said.

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According to consultants HKS designers,the master plan of the 53-acre new zoo will incorporate a sustainable design in compliance with the IGBC norms. The zoo will have good rain water and ground water harvesting systems in place. We will install a sewage treatment plant to segregate and treat the wastes generated in the premises. Our heat ventilation air conditioning system will be a sustainable one and we will used LED lights, they said.

The construction design will make maximum use of natural light for buildings. The construction materials will be non-toxic and recyclable ones,the consultants stated.

Zoo officials claimed that the sustainable design may push up the initial cost but will be more profitable and healthier in the long run. We are expecting the project to bring down electricity bills and the use of all natural resources for the day-to-day functioning of the zoo. Besides,if the construction materials are of low toxicity,it is bound to reflect on the health of the people working in the building. We are expecting recover the extra cost of the project in three-four years, Anjankar said.

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