Main Article Content
Abstract
The Indian construction industry is an integral part of the national economy and plays a pivotal role in the development of, urbanization, infrastructure development and satisfying the expectation of people for improved quality of living. In India, construction is the second largest economic activity after agriculture. Investment in construction accounts for nearly 11 per cent of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Construction accounts for nearly 65 per cent of the total investment in infrastructure sector and is expected to be the largest beneficiary of the surge in total industrial investment over the next five years. On the one hand, construction sector is making a crucial contribution to the social and economic development of any country by providing housing and infrastructure, and on the other hand this sector is a significant consumer of non-renewable resources, an ample source of waste and an important contributor to land degradation. At present there is a rising demand for sustainable construction practices, which emphasizes on long term affordability, quality and efficiency while decreasing the negative impact on environment. Thus the challenge which the construction sector faces today is to look into the life cycle of a building and its surrounding environment i.e. to know what kind of targets and actions will lead them towards sustainability. In the first section of the paper there will be discussion about the present scenario of construction industry and its contribution towards the socio-economic development of the country, the second section describes the practices and strategies adopted by construction industry to achieve sustainable development. And finally after analyzing the present scenario and practices of construction industry towards sustainability we will conclude the research paper with some suggestions and recommendations.