India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) hotels are increasingly turning green to earn carbon credits which would ensure them a minimum earning of Rs. one crore annually. Lighting controls, generator sets, kitchens, water heating, cooling towers, effluent water treatment, condenser pump motors and other related system will undergo changes in all our 16 ITDC-run hotels and transport division across the country to minimise carbon emission as part of the clean development mechanism (CDM) project, a senior Tourism Ministry official said.

There are opportunities in carbon finance in the hotel sector and the ITDC, under the Tourism Ministry, is the first hotel chain in the country to go for carbon credit, he said. The carbon credits would ensure a minimum Rs. one crore earnings annually, he said. There are a total of 16 hotels including the flagship Ashoka Hotel run by the ITDC in the country. "We have already identified the areas in all our properties for implementation of the CDM to save energy by considerably reducing carbon emission, the official said.

Introduction of energy efficient lighting system by using CFL, treatment and reuse of grey and black water for cleaning and gardening purposes, solar energy for water heating and pumping system are to be carried out in all ITDC hotels for earning carbon credit. Biogas production through solid waste management is also to be undertaken as part of the CDM project. "We are in the process of registering our carbon finance project at the UNFCC (United Nations Framework Convention), the official said and added that according to a rough estimate we would earn about Rs. one crore a year as carbon credit. PTI