Events like the Commonwealth Games ring alarm bells that land in Delhi has already been over-used. But I don’t understand why the planners here can’t listen to indicators that they are over-burdening the land,” said Dr Susan Roaf, professor of Sustainable Architecture at the Oxford Brookes University.
Roaf, who is also the director of Oxford-based Low Carbon Cities Initiative, is in Delhi to participate in the “UK-India Symposium on Greening Events and Energy Efficient Cities For a Lasting Legacy”.
An expert on energy efficient buildings, thermal comfort, eco-house design and the impact of climate change on buildings, Roaf expressed concern over the “mindless construction” happening in Delhi in the wake of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
“They are building more roads to cater to burgeoning traffic and increasing the parking capacity to accommodate more cars instead of thinking of solutions to reduce the number of vehicles plying in a particular area. By building too many hard surfaces like the tunnel road and parking lots, they are eliminating the porosity of the city which might be disastrous in the event of flash floods,” Roaf told Newsline.
Roaf is engaged in research and teaching on photovoltaic (converting solar energy to electricity) in buildings, building materials and sustainable design, integration of renewable energy and issues of sustainability into buildings and communities to eco-tourism in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan.
“There are housing structures in Norway which can be assembled and dissembled as per the need. Another concept of melting buildings has also been developed. These structures are made of mud and all one has to do is just remove the roof and door-settings while the rest of the house will go away with water. These structures are inexpensive and will not harm the ecology of the area. It is very inexpensive as compared to concrete structures and can be one of the best options for the Commonwealth Games,” she said.
“As the American Indians say that we have to tread lightly on the surface of the earth if we have to preserve resources for long,” she added.