Investigation into the government’s mass housing schemes in Telangana has revealed that there is great opportunity to take the state’s tremendous efforts to provide shelter to the poor up a notch and build a learning curve for the other states. Location of housing, adoption of environmental services, climate-appropriate design, and choice of materials are all intervention areas which can improve thermal comfort and livability of housing and also lower the linked energy consumption, while meeting the goals of  India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP). In a COVID-19 pandemic-ridden world, these intervention areas have become very important and must be addressed by strengthening the existing regulatory systems. 

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has prepared the first part of the guidelines to inform how, with concerted efforts, the ongoing housing regime can be worked on to improve thermal comfort, livability, and the resource footprint of yet-to-be-built housing.