It’s not just the stars who are going green. We even want to do bio gas for cooking with garbage and sewage recycling," says Kalpana, an interior designer and architect, who is also engaged in environmental issues. And we use our office as a demonstration facility," says Prashant Lingam, the founder of Bamboo House India."Similarly, when scientist Murali Sharma retired from Icrisat, he wanted to ensure that he and his family lived a life as close to nature as possible.Take the case of actress Dia Mirza, whose home is a reflection of who she is. Born and brought up in Hyderabad amidst green surroundings, she credits her parents for incorporating the love-of-nature in her. In an effort to keep alive and popularise local craftsmanship, the meditation hall, Padmam, has been made with wooden beams and rafters covered by slabs of slate, the traditional roof in the area.Nayantara adds, "The vernacular architecture of the region is exquisite but fast vanishing.Similarly, actor Prakash Raj utilised sustainable principles while building his second home, which was not just easy on the earth, but on his conscience too. It has solar power, harnesses rainwater, and China plastic plate Manufacturers the interiors are built entirely with eco-friendly materials. And while you may see some sunlight in the gaps between the slabs, it is rain proof. Responsible citizens like Bamboo House India’s Prashant Lingam and Aruna Kappagantula, Icrisat’s ex-scientist Murali Sharma, architect and interior designer Kalpana Ramesh and Our Sacred Space founder Nayantara Nandakumar are all passionate about preserving the planet, with their homes boasting some of the finest eco-credentials. Water is from the borewell. A practical, hands-on working intelligence along with age old building techniques is used by our local masons and workers.

Each home has a courtyard, is built with natural materials, and is individually customisable. In Dharur village, most home owners work alongside a mason to build their homes, which is an enriching experience in itself. Kitchen waste, leaf litter and anything that decomposes is converted to compost," he explains. We have solar panels and rain water harvesting too."Meanwhile, Gul Panag’s home near Pune is registered under Small Versatile Affordable GRIHA system (SVAGRIHA) — where a rainwater harvesting system and solar panels meet the daily water and power needs. We avoid bringing in any plastic, and are moving towards zero waste. We segregate waste, do composting, have water gauge automated systems to avoid tank overflows, and have banned plastic decorations for events. One of the many steps Dia has taken to go green includes replacing all plastic containers at her home with glass and ceramic jars.Even builders like Total Environment Homes are increasingly courting environmentally-minded consumers by offering features and using building techniques that would have been considered a novelty a few years ago.The trend of ecological responsibility is fast catching up among the elite set as several public figures are setting about remodeling their homes to keep the planet healthy. Celebrities from Dia Mirza to Gul Panag and Prakash Raj have gone the extra mile to create green houses that will inspire their fans to do the same.So what does the term ‘sustainable homes’ really mean? As Kalpana Loganathan explains, a lot goes into an eco-friendly home, right from insulation to energy supply, appliances to the floor plan layout. But when I had the opportunity to do up my office, we made sure it’s off the grid — right from the flooring, roof, walls, furniture, tiles and wash basins — everything is either eco-friendly or recycled. "It’s a dream house — electricity, water, cooling tunnels — everything is self sustainable."I have made every effort to make our home and co-operative housing as eco-friendly as possible. We have septic tanks and recycle grey water. And of course, we don’t use plastic bags," says eco champion Dia, adding, "I have also planted indigenous plants that attract bio diversity, so my windows provide a natural haven, with birds, butterflies and bees providing a sense of peace, calm and beauty.Even our watchmen and society staff have steel cups so they don’t buy tea in plastic cups. Kalpana and Ramesh Loganathan’s new home will be completely off the grid.Close to natureEnvironmental engineer Nayantara Nandakumar exposes the simple logic behind ecological sustainability, sustainable lifestyles and architecture. Used water goes into two soak pits to enrich the ground water table. Along with this, a large double glazed window eliminates the need for air-conditioning inside the home. I want my children to respect nature," says the actor."My current home is an old construction, so I could not do much about it. "Building an eco-friendly house is not as difficult as some people assume. The result is a home that they retrofitted for sustainability. A blanket of earth keeps these homes relatively cool in summer and warm in winter. The Meadow Dance is designed around the unique concept of earth sheltered homes. The landscaped earth cover also reduces rainwater run-off.. "At Our Sacred Space Dharur, we run the house on solar power. We use ash and soapnut based dishwashing mixtures," she says, explaining some of the measures in place. There is abundant ventilation and air circulation. "We conserve and recycle water. It remains cool and comfortable

The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up the Uttar Pradesh government for its failure in preserving the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Taj Mahal. But now, Taj is decaying again. Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) authority has done nothing since it was set up in 1996. What is happening?"While observing that nobody wants to take responsibility for the world heritage site, Justice Lokur said, "Someone has to take responsibility. The court asked, "Why have you filed a draft? Are we supposed to correct it?"The court division bench headed by Justice Madan Bhimrao asked the government about the in-charge of the environment protection and redevelopment of the area."The top court also came down heavily on the state government for filing a draft of the vision document with respect to the Taj Mahal trapezium.Justice Bhimrao said, "First environment cosmetic organizer ministry files affidavit, then ASI, then the Uttar Pradesh government.The Attorney General added, "Yellowing of the Taj was prevented and after chemical treatment, it was made white again.Built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in Agra, the iconic Taj Mahal was completed in 1643. The commissioner said, "We have written to the Uttar Pradesh government 20 to 25 letters in the last three years. It is surprising."Reacting to this statement, the Supreme Court strongly observed, "What is this? This has become a joke."The apex court questioned the state government about short-term measures that they plan to implement, since a detailed plan would take monthsDuring the argument, TTZ Commissioner told the two-judge bench that the Taj TTZ authority has no staff.This Mughal mausoleum is now in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.Also Read: UP files draft vision document on Taj in SC, says area should be no-plastic zoneThe state government also said that it would soon develop a design to rehabilitate and relocate slums near the Taj Mahal and added that no permission would be given for construction in the reserved forest areas. It will be a huge embarrassment for the country if Taj is also removed. The work continued for another decade to complete other phases."On July 24, the Uttar Pradesh government submitted its draft vision document to the Supreme Court on the restoration of Taj Mahal and assured the court of steps to preserve the heritage structure. UNESCO is thinking about declassifying the Darjeeling railway from the list of Heritage sites. There has to be one authority which takes charge. I have written four letters in the last one year. India, Delhi, New Delhi.SC also came down heavily on UP govt for filing draft of vision document and asked, 'Are we supposed to correct it?' The court division bench headed by Justice Madan Bhimrao asked the government about the in-charge of the environment protection and redevelopment of the area.The apex court asked the Uttar Pradesh government, "Who is exactly the in-charge of the Taj Mahal?"In its observation, the court further said, "The left hand doesnt know what the right hand is doing.The proposed draft vision envisages declaring an entire area near Taj Mahal a plastic-free zone including the ban on bottled water, impose a complete ban on construction activities on the riverbed of the Yamuna and have better traffic management with more space for pedestrians.""We are now in a situation where a vision document is prepared without the involvement of the ASI," he added.Meanwhile, Attorney General K K Venugopal, who appeared in the court on behalf of the Uttar Pradesh government, submitted his report to the top court that the ASI was not responsible for the relocation of industries in the Taj trapezium zone. It seems that authorities have washed their hands off the Taj