Page 22 - Clean India Journal Magazine June 2019 Issue

COVER STORY

MR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL)
t was in 2008, a few days Gis a joint venture company promoted by the GMR Group
before the launch of the (63%) in partnership with the Airports Authority of India
Iairport, that the Clean India (13%), Government of Telangana (13%) and Malaysia Airports
editorial team visited the site, Holdings Berhad (11%). GHIAL was incorporated to design,
as it was getting set to receive finance, build, operate and maintain a world class Greenfield
the first flight on the runway. airport.. The Airport was opened to passengers in 2008, apart
A lot of activity, construction from passengers, it also deals 495 metric tonnes of cargo a day,
around the area… 10 years and has the capacity for three lakh tonnes annually. On average,
now, it is still buzzing with the airport sees almost 500 truck movements a day. The 11-year-
activities and upgradation old passenger terminal is already grappling with the growing
besides the construction of the passenger load; a second terminal is under construction.
next terminal.
India’s sixth largest and
fourth busiest airport and By finding ways and means illumination. It has received
still growing, upkeep and to cut down on its power the ‘Leadership in Energy and
maintenance of all the consumption and relying on Environmental Design’ (LEED)
facilities is a matter of “proper renewable energy (solar), RGIA certification for its unique
planning, implementation and design, from the United States
monitoring”. has managed to consistently
offset its carbon emissions. For Green Building Council rated
GMR FMS has developed starters, the passenger terminal ‘Silver’. At present, RGIA is in
a workable, viable model building itself is designed as the process of upgrading to the
that takes responsibility a green building, allowing ‘gold’ category.
for cleaning, maintenance,
waste management and other illumination by natural light Two 5MW on-site solar
activities and also adopts every during the day, and diminishing power plants provide 15-20 %
possible measure to reduce its the need for artificial of the airport’s energy needs,
carbon footprint.
“To a passenger, an airport
operator is not actually visible.
The operation entity has no
direct connection with the
passengers or the flights, yet
the onus still lies on the airport
staff to deliver services,”
according to the officials at
GMR.

India’s first carbon-neutral
airport in its passenger
category
“All our work boils down
to one simple philosophy
-- Sustainable development.
Not only because of legal
implication, but because we
genuinely believe that we
should leave a better world for
generations to come.”

22 Clean India Journal www.cleanindiajournal.com
June 2019