Introduction

The GRIHA for CITIES rating has been structured as a framework for sustainable development of a city, to be achieved by measuring 'greenness' of existing as well as proposed cities . Qualitative and quantitative criteria have been integrated in the rating to cover diverse aspects of sustainable development. The rating sets performance benchmarks for key resources such as energy, water and waste; and evaluates the project's performance in areas such as smart governance, social wellbeing, and transportation . The rating is in synchronization with the work being done to achieve targets of Sustainable Development Goals, UNFCCC. Furthermore, specifically the work being done in the country through MoHUA's Livability Index, Ease of Living Index and smart cities initiatives.

Eligibility

The rating targets all cities, towns with civic/local bodies, such as Municipal Corporation and Municipal Council. Urban agglomerations having more than one civic body can go for rating in phases as well. The municipal limits of the urban area shall be considered as the boundary for rating purposes. The civic bodies for the rating can be classified as urban local bodies (ULBs) with population less than 1 lakh and ULBs with population greater than 1 lakh.

Any city which is undergoing land acquisition or is in the planning phase shall be considered as new. If the implementation has not started, the civic body can submit policies/plans/calculations/drawings or other relevant documents. The implementation status shall be verified during the course of the project certification.

Advantages of achieving GRIHA for CITIES rating

Judicious use of resources is becoming more crucial with time. GRIHA for CITIES rating aims to provide a single platform with a set of predefined parameters to compare the performance of various cities/municipalities within the country thereby providing a sustainability accreditation. It helps to increase the marketability of municipalities for investors and enhances their Credit rating. It also aids the civic bodies in becoming torchbearers for the upcoming towns and cities.

Rating Fees

Rating process

• 1. Online registration: The project proponent can initiate the registration process by filling the expression of interest (EOI) form available on the GRIHA website. The registration is complete after the feasibility checklist is successfully completed by the project proponent. Once the project is registered, the project proponent shall be provided with username and password for documentation on online panel.
• 2. Orientation workshop: The registration is followed by an orientation workshop conducted by the GRIHA Council which intends to provide detailed information of the rating, all criteria, and to address specific queries of the project team.
• 3. Submission of documents: The project team will upload documents for all criteria on the online panel with the username and password provided during registration.
• 4. Preliminary evaluation: After online submission of documents, the preliminary evaluation is carried out by a team of professionals and experts from the GRIHA Council. The documentation must be complete in all aspects for all attempted criteria. Any attempted criteria with incomplete documentation shall not be evaluated. Online calculators provided for specific criteria need to be filled in and submitted. The GRIHA Council professionals shall first review compliance of all criteria and establish compliance with mandatory criteria; followed by estimation of the total number of achievable points. A preliminary evaluation report shall be submitted within 25 working days after document submission.
• 5. Review workshop: A meeting with the entire project team will be organized after preliminary evaluation. This meeting will be a platform for discussing any concerns and/or queries with the preliminary evaluation.
• 6. Final evaluation: GRIHA Council shall evaluate submitted documentation and final site visit report in response to the preliminary evaluation. On the basis of this evaluation, GRIHA Council shall prepare a final scorecard within 20 working days after the project team furnishes requisite information sought during preliminary evaluation and review workshop. Final rating will be awarded based on the final evaluation.
• 7. Review meetings: After the final rating has been awarded to the project based on the submitted documentation, a review meeting shall be organized for the project team to discuss its progress as per the set targets. This meeting shall be organized once in two years and will give the projects an opportunity to improve their rating.
• 8. Rating renewal: The rating must be renewed every 5 years by submitting updated documentation in the standard format as per the rating.

Rating threshold

Rating Threshold	Achievable stars as per GRIHA for CITIES rating
25-40
41-55
56-70
71-85
86 and above

Criterion and their weightages