Bhubaneswar: Odisha Lok Bhavan here has become the first Governor House in the country to receive the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Platinum certification under its Green Campus Rating System, marking a significant step towards sustainable and environment-friendly infrastructure, an official statement said Tuesday.
Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati received the certification from IGBC National Chairman C Sekhar Reddy at a function held at New Abhishek Hall at Lok Bhavan here on Tuesday. The Lok Bhavan campus scored 88 out of 100 points, placing it in the highest category of the IGBC rating system.
“Odisha’s Lok Bhavan becomes India’s first Lok Bhavan to be certified green and Platinum and also the first-ever Platinum-rated campus under the revised and stringent IGBC Green Campus v1 rating system (launched July 2024). It is also the First Lok Bhavan in the country to adopt an all-electric official carcade,” the Governor’s House said in a statement.
Speaking to reporters on the occasion, Kambhampati described the recognition as a proud moment for Odisha and said the certification reflected concerted efforts to transform the Lok Bhavan into a green campus.
“The certification recognises the green cover, clean energy generation and use of electric vehicles, among other initiatives. Whatever steps were suggested were taken up by Lok Bhavan, and ultimately we achieved the highest rating,” the governor said.
Kambhampati said he would show the certificate to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his next visit to Delhi and expressed hope that the achievement would encourage other institutions to adopt sustainable practices and seek green certification.
Taking the message beyond Lok Bhavan, the governor urged universities across Odisha to obtain green certification and play a greater role in creating environmental awareness. Thousands of students pass through university campuses every year and could become ambassadors of environmental protection, he said.
The governor also highlighted the renewable energy measures taken at Lok Bhavan. The campus currently has an installed solar power capacity of 635 kWp, he said, urging households and institutions to make greater use of rooftop solar systems.
“Germany has around 100 sunny days, yet it harnesses solar power. We have around 300 sunny days. If we do not harness this power, it will be a crime,” he said.
As part of its green transition, Odisha Lok Bhavan has also adopted an all-electric official carcade.
Building on its renewable energy efforts, Lok Bhavan is also planning to install small windmills on the campus. Kambhampati said expanding the use of renewable energy would help strengthen the campus’s transition towards cleaner sources of power.
He said the green transformation will also be extended to Lok Bhavan in Puri, where efforts will be made to secure green certification. A 100-kW solar power plant has been proposed there as the first step towards making the campus more environment-friendly.
Kambhampati said these initiatives were part of a broader shift towards cleaner energy in Odisha and across the country, with renewable sources such as solar and wind gaining increasing importance.
Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said the Governor’s commitment to environmental protection has been translated into concrete action through the green transformation of Lok Bhavan. He said the recognition is a matter of pride for Odisha and would encourage government departments to incorporate green practices while planning future buildings.
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