Expressing serious concern over rising air pollution and deteriorating sanitation in urban areas adversely impacting quality of urban life, Minister of Urban Development Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu has asserted that “the objective of smart cities initiative is to promote living in harmony with nature”. In his address at the Convocation of The Energy Research Institute here today, Shri Naidu called for reorientation of urban designing and planning approaches that promote such a harmony.
Elaborating on this, Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu has said that climate change concerns need to be factored in urban development strategies and action plans. He expressed concern over “designing of residential, commercial and office buildings blocking natural light and air and in turn depending on electricity for the same”. Referring to a TERI Report, Shri Naidu said that 42,000 MW of electricity could be saved by 2021 by adopting energy efficient building practices.
