"Our Behavioural Action Can Save Water": Navin Kumar, Managing Director of Navins
The Hindu Sustainability Summit 2025 held in the city and Mr. Navin Kumar, Managing Director of Navin’s- one of Chennai`s most trusted real estate developers - was a speaker at a panel discussion on Water for Tomorrow: Sustainable management and industrial responsibility: Strategies for conservation, reuse and sustainable water management. The event was co-presented by Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company.
The chief guests for the event were Mr. H. Shankar, Managing Director, Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) and Mr. Srivats Ram, former chairman, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Tamil Nadu, and Managing Director, Wheels India.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Navin Kumar, Managing Director of Navin’s said, “Real estate sector has been a silent player when it comes to treating water and office projects have been going through a drastic change over 25 years complying with green building norms, either US or IGBC or various standards evolved locally.”
“The Biggest benefit, he said, “comes from recycling water- the grey water- which alone contributes to 40-70 percent commercially and 40-50 percent to residential units. When we recycle water a huge amount of pressure or strain on demand goes down from the community.”
Mr. Navin Kumar, emphasized on how small behavioural action has an impact on saving water, At Navin’s, their newer projects are fitted with digital water meter and the properties adopt Curing. Navin’s Hanging Gardens is equipped with Moisture Sensing Grip Irrigation to avoid wasteful watering of plants.
Mr. Navin Kumar also noted that there was insufficient incentive for residential buildings to be green and urged the Government to step in and create awareness on the importance of adopting greener measures.
The fellow panellists were Dr G Ravikumar, Professor and Director, Centre for Water Resources, Anna University, P. Kannan, Director, Operations, CPCL, Mr. Gaurav Kumar IAS, Executive Director, Chennai Metro Water and was moderated by Ms. K Lakshmi, Deputy Editor, Reporting, The Hindu.
