Nashik, 17th August, 2024: Nashik’s journey towards sustainable urban living took a significant step forward as students of the Green Wall team from Delhi Public School Nashik visited the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) office on 2nd August 2024. They met with Shri Kalpesh Patil Assistant Director Town Planning Department, Nashik Mahanagara Palika, Nashik and the Deputy Commissioner, Ajit Nikat of Godavari Sanvardhan to present a proposal aimed at integrating green wall installations in upcoming small-scale apartment buildings across the city.

During the meeting, the green wall team members passionately discussed the environmental benefits of green walls, such as improved air quality, thermal insulation, and enhanced urban biodiversity. They emphasized the importance of incorporating sustainable practices into urban planning to address the challenges posed by rapid urbanization. The Town Planning Officer and the Deputy Commissioner responded positively to the proposal, acknowledging the potential impact of green walls on the city’s landscape and environment. They encouraged the club to collaborate with experts to draft comprehensive guidelines for implementing the initiative in Nashik’s urban planning policies.

This meeting marked a significant milestone in the Eco Club’s ongoing efforts to make Nashik a greener city, underscoring the importance of community involvement in environmental conservation.

This initiative was inspired by a simple yet profound question from a grade 3 student at DPS Nashik: “Why can’t I have plants in my apartment like I see at school or in the garden?” This query highlighted the issue of space constraints in small-scale apartment buildings and sparked a movement within the school.

The student’s wish led to a collaborative project among the grade 3 students, who decided to create a vertical garden or “Green Wall” in their friend’s apartment. With the support of their school director, Mr. Siddharth Rajgarhia, facilitator Ms.Shwetha V. the students collected plants, soil, and reusable plastic bottles to build the first green wall. This successful initiative didn’t stop there; the students went on to install seven more green walls in various apartments across Nashik.

However, the journey was not without its challenges. Convincing apartment residents to allow these installations required persistence. The students wrote letters, persuaded their parents, and repeatedly requested permission to bring their green vision to life. Despite the limited broader community response, these young changemakers remained determined to spread their green wall project throughout Nashik.

The Green wall team’s visit to the NMC office represents the next phase of this movement, aiming to extend the impact of their efforts citywide. What began as a child’s simple wish has now evolved into a city-wide initiative, with the potential to inspire other cities to follow suit and rethink their relationship with nature.

Bhiwani, 16th August 2024: Centre for Sight, a renowned eye care hospital known for its cutting-edge technology and trusted team of doctors, today announced the launch of its world-class eye care centre in Bhiwani. Launch of this new centre aims to provide super-specialized eye care services to the residents of Bhiwani and adjoining areas, eliminating the need to travel to metro cities.

The grand inauguration ceremony witnessed the esteemed presence of Shri Bhupender Yadav, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India as Chief Guest along with Shri Ghanshyam Saraf, Member of Legislative Assembly, Bhiwani as the Guest of honour, among several other notable dignitaries and luminaries from various fields.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Bhupender Yadav, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India welcomed Centre For Sight to Bhiwani and expressed delight in witnessing the hospital significant advancements in technology, expertise, and infrastructure available to the patients, making it an ideal one-stop eye care destination. He also highlighted the significance of the hospital’s opening, marking a new era of eye care in Bhiwani and bringing quality and affordable eye care to the region.

Shri Ghanshyam Saraf, Member of Legislative Assembly, Bhiwani said “I am delighted to witness the launch of Centre for Sight in Bhiwani, which brings advanced eye care services to our region. This centre is a testament to the progress we are making in ensuring that every citizen has access to high-quality healthcare, right in their vicinity. The state-of-the-art technology and expert team at this facility will undoubtedly benefit many and help in reducing the burden of preventable blindness in our community.”

Preventable blindness encompasses a range of conditions, including cataracts, refractive errors, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. The good news is that many of these conditions are not only treatable but also preventable through timely intervention and public awareness.

Dr. Mahipal Singh Sachdev, Chairman, and Managing Director of Centre For Sight Group of Eye Hospitals, emphasized the mission to bring affordable world-class eye care to every corner of India, as one-third of the world’s Visually impaired population resides in India. Centre For Sight, they firmly believe that every eye deserves the best, and they are dedicated to serving the people of India with compassion and excellence. Our belief and dedication to the cause of eye health for all has been instrumental in bringing Centre For Sight to Bhiwani.

Dr. Mahipal, shared that the Smooth Incision Lenticule Keratomileusis (SILK) procedure offers new hope for myopia patients, allowing them to achieve clear vision without the need for glasses or contact lenses. It is a matter of pride that Indian ophthalmologists have contributed significantly to the development of this latest technology, which is now available at select centres across India.

He added, “At the Centre for Sight, we are proud to have been the first site in the world to perform SILK. This is testimony to the presence of Indian Ophthalmology at the World stage. Most of the early clinical data for this technology has been contributed by Indian Centres including Centre for Sight. We are proud to launch this technology in India and at Centre for Sight.”

With a network of 75+ locations spanning over 30 cities in India, Centre For Sight now extends its premium eye care services to Bhiwani. The centre specializes in providing comprehensive ophthalmic services, from advanced cataract solutions to glaucoma treatment, and a range of complex surgeries, all under one roof. Additionally, the centre will conduct Comprehensive Eye Check-Up camps for the local residents and house an optical wing, CFS Vision, providing complete eyewear solutions.

Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the centre offers world-class eye care services. The advanced Micro-Incision Cataract Surgery (MICS) with phacoemulsification (phaco) is followed by the implantation of advanced lenses such as trifocal, multifocal, toric, EDOF, and advanced design intraocular lens (IOL). This stitchless, bloodless, and painless procedure ensures quick healing and post-operative recovery.

The group is actively involved in research and innovation in the field of eye care. Their commitment to advancing knowledge in ophthalmology has led to the development of new surgical techniques, treatments, and technologies that benefit patients worldwide.
Spread over 6500 sq ft., the Centre boasts Four consultation chambers and state-of-the-art modular operation theatres, providing a seamless and technologically advanced eye care experience.

Bengaluru, 13 August 2024: With an unwavering focus on sustainable built spaces, occupiers’ preference to lease in green certified buildings has gained momentum in key office markets across India. During Q2 2024, about 13 mn sq ft of office space in the top six cities has been leased in green-certified buildings. This represents a 24% YoY increase and accounts for an impressive 82% share in overall leasing during the quarter. This rapid growth is an indication of the rising awareness amongst corporate occupiers with respect to the role that built structures have to play in containing issues related to climate change through reducing carbon footprint. The share of Bengaluru followed by Mumbai remained significant, together accounting for over 50% of the leases in green-certified buildings in Q2 2024. Interestingly, of the 13 mn sq ft of leases signed in green buildings, about 60% were in relatively newer developments which have come in the last 5 years.

Currently, LEED, GRIHA and WELL are some of the prominent green certifications available in the Indian market, which validate buildings as ‘green’ by assessing various parameters including energy consumption, waste generation and alignment of design with health and wellness aspects. Real estate developers are increasingly aligning their offerings with global sustainability standards, simultaneously presenting various tangible benefits to their tenants including lower operational costs, improved indoor air quality and enhanced employee productivity.

Technology and Engineering & Manufacturing companies at the forefront

About 80% of leasing by technology and engineering & manufacturing firms since 2023 were in green-certified buildings. Moreover, it is noteworthy that 62% of the flex players prefer space take-up in green-certified buildings. Overall, at an India level, technology sector accounted for about 27% share in the cumulative space take up in green-certified buildings since 2023, followed by occupiers from Engineering & Manufacturing and BFSI sectors with about 19% share each.

“Over the last few quarters, developers, investors & occupiers in the office market have increasingly embraced adoption of sustainable elements in their portfolios. With 13 mn sq ft of leasing in green- certified buildings in Q2 2024, a significant 82% of occupiers were inclined towards green-certified buildings. This also reflects occupiers’ strong commitment to align their sustainability goals with the broader sustainability targets of the country. Since 2023, about 70-80% of the space uptake by Engineering & Manufacturing, Technology and BFSI players has been in green-certified buildings. The trend is expected to further accelerate in the next few years. Moreover, SEBI’s mandatory sustainability reporting further provides a thrust to occupiers, investors and developers to increasingly consider green portfolios while meeting their ESG targets, “says Arpit Mehrotra, Managing Director, Office services, India, Colliers.

More than two-thirds of Grade A office stock in India is currently green certified

In tandem with the rise in demand for green-certified building, green building stock is also seeing an increase. According to Colliers, as of June 2024, about 67% of the Grade A office buildings across the top six cities were green certified. Bengaluru and Delhi NCR account for about half of the green office stock in the country. Of the 13.2 mn sq ft of new Grade A office completions in Q2 2024, almost 70% are green-certified. In the next two-three years, majority of the over 150 mn sq ft Grade A office developments in various stages of construction across the six major cities are likely to be green certified, expanding Grade A green stock to over 600 mn sq ft.

“With increased inclination amongst occupiers for green-certified buildings, several Grade A developers are increasing sustainable offerings in their commercial portfolios. During the second quarter of 2024, almost 70% of the new supply was green-certified. With growing demand, developers are also retrofitting ageing office stock and incorporating sustainable elements in overall building design & construction. About 300-350 mn sq ft of commercial building stock older than 10 years hold the potential to get refurbished in the next few years and add to the green-certified office stock of the country.” says Vimal Nadar, Senior Director and Head of Research, Colliers India.