Grievance: About Building Code.
Sanjeev Goyal
PMOPG/E/2026/0099757
Concerned Department: (1) National Buildings Organisation (2) Delhi Urban Arts Commission, (3) Regional Centre for Urban and Environmental Studies (RCUES), Lucknow (4) Bureau of Indian standard.
Environmental issues have taken front seat in any developmental project. Be it a construction of any building, road, dam, bridge anything. There are areas where with a little planning construction can be more eco friendly. A few of such areas are jotted down which may be perused for further necessary action
(1) Excessive Use of Lifts
In recent years, the use of lifts has increased significantly, to the point where even low-rise buildings are now routinely equipped with them. However, a concerning trend has emerged in the way these buildings are designed. Upon entering most modern buildings, visitors are immediately greeted by a prominent lift lobby, while the staircase is deliberately tucked away, out of sight and out of mind. Staircases are increasingly concealed behind closed doors bearing the label 'Fire Exit' — a designation that subtly but powerfully signals to users that stairs exist solely for emergencies, and are not intended for everyday common use.
This forced design choice has adverse consequences. Lots of people who would willingly climb two or three floors on foot, or descend , were the staircase is conveniently visible. Yet because the lift is the first — and often the only — option that presents itself, it becomes the default choice by design rather than by preference. In this way, building layouts are quietly programming occupant behaviour, conditioning people to treat lift use as the norm and stair use as the exception.
The cost of this trend has twofold harm: it results in unnecessary electricity consumption, and it deprives building occupants of a simple, effortless opportunity for physical activity during the course of their working day. At a time when both energy conservation and public health are pressing priorities, promoting such design choices is deterimental to societal interests. This trend must be questioned, and actively reversed — beginning with a requirement that staircases be prominently located and clearly visible upon entrance for everyday use.
(2) Centralised Air Conditioning
The growing dominance of centralised air conditioning systems in modern buildings has created a situation where entire HVAC plants must be operated even when only a fraction of the building is in use. On days when most offices remain closed, running a full-scale centralised AC system becomes an unavoidable compulsion merely to serve a single functional area. Compounding this problem, many such buildings are designed with inadequate natural ventilation, forcing the system to continuously recirculate stale indoor air rather than introducing fresh air from outside. During power outages, diesel generator sets are deployed to keep these systems running — adding yet another significant source of environmental pollution. While specialised spaces such as server rooms may genuinely require round-the-clock cooling, extending this requirement to all areas of a building is neither necessary nor justifiable. It is worth noting that in the aftermath of the recent Hauz Khas fire incident, the Chief Minister of Delhi also emphasised the critical importance of ensuring that rooms are equipped with openable windows — a basic yet essential safety and ventilation measure.
(3) Misuse of Air Conditioning
Air conditioning is perhaps the most misused fixture in Indian office buildings. Units are switched on as the first act of the working day and turned off only at closing time, with little regard for actual need or occupancy. Unlike Japan, where regulations mandate that indoor temperatures be maintained at a fixed, energy-efficient level, no comparable standard exists in India. In many offices, individual AC units run continuously throughout the day — even when the occupant has been absent for several hours. Resorting to mechanical ventilation when a cool natural breeze is available outside reflects a significant lack of environmental awareness. It is essential to recognise that every action we take either contributes to protecting the environment or to degrading it. Furthermore, an excessive dependence on machines gradually diminishes our ability to respond effectively in emergency situations.
The Unified Building Bye-Laws (UBBL) for Delhi, 2016, differentiate ventilation requirements based on whether a building is intended for human habitation. Paradoxically, offices — where people spend the majority of their waking hours at relatively high densities — are not accorded the same priority for adequate ventilation. This inconsistency deserves urgent reconsideration.
Prolonged exposure to air-conditioned environments also carries health risks, including lethargy and reduced immunity. Collectively, these practices result in the gross wastage of freely available natural resources and an unnecessary reliance on artificial systems. At a time when environmental protection has become a matter of survival, actively promoting the use of lifts and air conditioning in situations where alternatives are feasible is difficult to justify. Every device that consumes electricity contributes, directly or indirectly, to environmental pollution. The COVID-19 pandemic has further demonstrated that the design of existing buildings can pose serious risks to human health during such crises. It is high time this issue receives the serious attention it deserves.
(4) Washroom Design and Operation
The design and operation of washrooms must also be reimagined in light of the lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic. To minimise the risk of contact-based transmission of viruses and bacteria, washroom fixtures — including taps and doors — should operate on touchless systems to the greatest extent possible. As a practical and immediate first step, the installation of foot-operated taps should be made mandatory, laying the foundation for a broader shift towards hygienic, touchless washroom infrastructure.
(5) Harvesting RO and AC Wastewater
When new buildings are planned, integrated systems for the collection and utilisation of wastewater from RO purifiers and air conditioning units should be incorporated into the design from the outset. This water can be routed to underground recharge wells, enabling the conservation of potentially crores of litres of water annually — a simple yet impactful measure towards sustainable water management.
For consideration please.
