Chandigarh
8 January 2019
DIVYA AZAD
The capital today witnessed the inauguration of a new green compound at the Royal Norwegian Embassy, New Delhi, by the Prime Minister of Norway, Ms. Erna Solberg. She is in the capital for a 2- day official visit.
The embassy has obtained a Green Rating for Integrated Habitat by the Government of India. High sustainability and environmental ambitions were key goals for the architect. The building is adapted to the local climate and take into consideration Indian environmental concerns.Locally available building materials were used in the construction process. 95%came from local markets in New Delhi.
“It has been an exciting challenge, not just the architectural design, but the whole construction process”says the architect, Terje Grønmo from Terje Grønmo Arkitekter AS.
Ensuring sustainable water management and energy efficiency have been a major concern. The new compound is constructed with wells for rainwater harvesting. Geothermal wells are used for cooling by circulating water in 30 wells sunk 100 meters into the earth. Water is heated using solar panels, which produce 200kWh energy per day. This is equivalent to powering a 40w bulb for almost 7 months or a 3W LED for around 7, 5 years.
The handling of materials and preservation of green areas have also been important, including the environmental concerns for the trees. Trees, probably more than 60 years old, have been shifted, allowing for conservation of as much of the green space as possible.
“The inauguration today marks the beginning of a new era of cooperation between our two countries. As a green embassy, I hope it can serve as an inspiration for our shared efforts to achieve the green transition and the Sustainable Development Goals. I look forward to seeing our partnership bear more fruits, in business, politics and development”,said Prime Minister Solberg.
The guests also enjoyed an exhibition showcasing Indo-Norwegian relations and cooperation over the last seventy years.This included presentations of the collaboration between the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) and the Norwegian Polar institute (NPI), clean energy solutions used in rural India by TERI and research projects displayed by the Norwegian Research Council. UN Women recreated a Mahila Sabha in a village setting,while health workers from the Norway-India Partnership Initiative (NIPI) demonstrated the Emergency Triage Assessment & Treatment (ETAT) for the guests. Children from Kailash Satyarthi’s ‘Bachpan Bachao Andolan’ were also taking part in the event sharing their stories.
