Objective:
The main objective of the India Green Infrastructure Network is to promote the beautification and enhancement of our community through a quality process. In short, we aim to make Bangalore and other cities in India as much of an eco-city as possible. In order to introduce this ideology to the public, we aim to provide Education, Training, Research Study, Talks, Dialogues, Discussions, Workshops, Exhibitions, Business Development Mission, and promote literature and materials on the subject.
Goals for Bangalore:
Bangalore was once known as The Garden City. Over the years, it has lost that claim to fame because of urbanisation and the rise in population. While it is wonderful that the city has progressed to become one of India's top cities, it has lost out on a lot of green cover. IGIN's aim is to make progress environmentally and bring back the greenery through sustainable technology like Green Roof, Green Wall, etc.
IGIN believes that Bangalore must take a leadership role, create awareness and address the impact on the environment by urbanisation and a growing population. These impacts include air pollution, water pollution, climate change, and the loss of greenery and lakes around the city.
How can Bangalore protect its distinctive quality of green life when faced with the demands of growth and mass developments?
All over the world, the greatest urban cities have begun to put environmentally sound practices into effect. At IGIN we make recommendations and present ideas based on tried and tested routes that have been put into practice with great success in urban cities. We have the solutions and also the ways to go about it. We aim to come up with a comprehensive environment action plan that will guide the city towards sustainability.
The framework for and goals within this Green City Action Plan follow international green city developments, which acknowledges and solves some of the environment challenges and opportunities facing urban areas. For example:
- Water management
- Energy saving
- Transportation
- Urban Design and Green Technology
- Environmental Health
- Waste Reduction
- Lake Management
- Storm Water Management
- Adoption of Green City Action Plan
- Adoption of ordinance for an Environmental Advisory Commission
- Adoption of Green Building Program
- Creating awareness of Green Program and Schemes
- Incentive Policies, etc.
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What we need to achieve the goals is - the three Ps:
Political will,
Professional commitment, and
People’s involvement.
Model city
Bangalore – City inside a Garden
The true mark of a developed country is its involvement with eco-consciousness. This can happen only through world class Green Sustainable Cities – which is the goal of Indian Green Infrastructure Network (IGIN). IGIN in association with World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN) and the world’s top international experts aims to create world class Green Sustainable Cities in the country and Bangalore will give this movement a head start.
The ultimate paradox is that, when the Premier of Singapore visited Bengaluru in late 1950s, he wanted Singapore to become like Bengaluru – a Garden City! While some four decades later, the Chief Minister of Karnataka wanted Bengaluru to be modeled after Singapore. The difference between the two cities is that one city achieved its goal, while the other lost its glory.
I believe Bangalore is still the beautiful Green City of India. Having travelled to many Mega Cities around the world, I have seen that cities have seriously taken up development and sustainability of Urban Green using the latest technologies. One of my favourite destinations is Singapore which is also known as the Garden City. After interacting with various professionals, Government agencies, contracting companies and Consultants in Singapore, I observed that there has been an increasing awareness of Green Technology. With this increased interest and application of green development, Singapore is now called the City in a Garden. I have been motivated and challenged to match what I saw in Singapore, which is the desire of many Indians and Bangaloreans to see happening.
Looking back at the Bangalore city of yester years and the development that has happened over the past 25 years, I have realised that we have lost some of the cluster of greenery around the developments. The greenery that was a part of Bangalore’s charm prompted me to call it the City inside a Garden! I am sure many proud Indians and Bangaloreans would like to see the city restored to its previous glory. All hope is not lost! There are many parts of Bangalore which still have the beautiful green effect. The challenge now is to sustain and have a total Urban Green City plan using the latest green technologies. I believe that with public and Government participation and support, we can implement the latest green technologies using professional expertise. We can make Bangalore a model city for the rest of the nation and see it restored as the City inside a Garden.