'Green' Rashtrapati Bhawan to get ISO certificate
The Rashtrapati Bhawan, the official residence of the President of India, is set to become the first urban dwelling to receive an ISO certification (International Organisation for Standardisation) next month.
Next week, independent auditors from the Bureau Veritas Certification (BVQI), global leaders in systems certification services, are scheduled to visit the sprawling estate to begin the first phase of the auditing process that will ultimately lead to certifying the 340-acre facility with an ISO 14001:2004 mark.
The 14000 series relate to environmental issues and will certify the President's estate as an urban dwelling that uses processes that are eco-friendly and energy saving. The final certificate will be given by the United Kingdom Accreditation Services (UKAS), recognised worldwide as the topmost accreditation agency.
"Under the directions of the President, we had applied for the ISO 14001 certification last month to ensure that the President's estate is recognised, established and maintained as a model eco-township," says Christy Fernandes, secretary to President Pratibha Patil. The BVQI auditors, according to him, will visit Rashtrapati Bhawan on June 21-22 while the final auditing by UKAS will be done in the first week of July.
"We want to time the certification with completion of three years in office of the President," says Fernandes, adding that this will be the first time that an urban dwelling will be awarded such a credential. "Normally, industrial and corporate entities are awarded such certification," says Fernandes.
To earn the certification, Rashtrapati Bhawan put in place a number of eco-friendly processes in the last two years. Project Roshni, an initiative started by the President last year encompasses recycling of water, rain water harvesting, use of natural gas and biogas instead of LPG, zero waste management and making the estate a plastic-free zone.
But compliance has been easier said than done, as the campus has over 2,000 households besides contingents from the Army, the President's bodyguards, ITBP and the Delhi Police. It has been a steady climb, though difficult in the initial stages, admits Fernandes.
The entire facility is now under stringent energy audit, with houses using only CFL lighting, besides solar lamps being used at 110 points within the campus. "We have laid down a proper environmental policy. We use electric cars and carts for running local errands within the campus. Even the auditorium is run on solar power though it does have a regular power source as back-u
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