GRIHA NORMS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco)

Context: The Indian Army’s new Thal Sena Bhawan (TSB) is coming up with GRIHA-IV (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) norms.

GRIHA Norms

• About: GRIHA stands for Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment. The term "GRIHA" is derived from Sanskrit, meaning 'Abode.'
• Purpose: GRIHA serves as a rating tool designed to help individuals and organizations assess their building's performance against nationally accepted benchmarks.
• Holistic Evaluation: GRIHA evaluates a building's environmental performance throughout its entire life cycle, establishing a clear standard for what qualifies as a 'green building.'
• Developed By: GRIHA was developed by TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute), a renowned research organization.
• Adopted By: Government Adoption: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
• Criteria: GRIHA assesses a building based on 34 specific criteria, awarding points on a scale of 100 and providing star rating from 1 to 5.

o Minimum Requirement: To qualify for GRIHA certification, a project must achieve a minimum of 50 points.

o Mandatory Criteria: Certain criteria and sub-criteria are mandatory, meaning they must be met for a project to be eligible for rating under GRIHA.

Project Scoring

• 1-Star Rating: Buildings scoring between 50-60 points are certified as 1-star GRIHA-rated buildings.
• 2-Star Rating: A score of 61-70 points earns a building a 2-star GRIHA rating.
• 3-Star Rating: Buildings achieving a score of 71-80 points are recognized as 3-star GRIHA-rated buildings.
• 4-Star Rating: A 4-star GRIHA rating is awarded to buildings scoring between 81-90 points.
• 5-Star Rating: The highest rating, 91-100 points, results in a 5-star GRIHA-rated building.

Thal Sena Bhawan 

• Area: 143,450 sq. m.
• It has been designed to be earthquake-resistant.
• The complex is designed to cater to the needs of 5,600 personnel.
• It will bring together the Indian Army Headquarters currently split into eight pockets across Delhi, including South Block, Sena Bhawan, Hutments Area, R. K. Puram, and Shankar Vihar.
• Thal Sena Bhawan adheres to GRIHA-IV specifications and criteria.