In a decisive push to counter extreme heat and curb rising energy demand, Amravati Municipal Corporation (AMC) has made ‘cool roofs’ mandatory for new buildings and introduced tax incentives for retrofitting existing structures.
AMC officials said the corporation is among the first in Maharashtra to notify and implement the Cool Roof Bylaws 2025 under the state government’s 150-day governance programme. The policy integrates heat mitigation into urban planning and aligns with initiatives like the Majhi Vasundhara Abhiyan and national sustainable cooling efforts, embedding climate resilience into building regulations.
Municipal Commissioner Saumya Sharma Chandak said cool roofs are now compulsory for all new government, commercial, and public buildings, along with residential and mixed-use structures exceeding 500 sq m or 15 metres in height. Compliance will be ensured at the building plan approval stage and verified during site inspections before issuing the Occupancy Certificate. These provisions also apply to all municipal construction tenders.
To promote adoption in existing buildings, AMC is offering property tax rebates of up to 10% for residential and public buildings and 5% for commercial properties, valid for three years after certification. A dedicated digital portal has been developed for application, verification, and certification, with approved buildings receiving a “Climate Resilient Cool Roof Certificate” supported by QR-based verification.
The bylaws are based on a 2024 remote sensing-based Land Surface Temperature (LST) study, which recorded peak temperatures of 53.7°C in dense urban areas, with metal-roofed structures consistently exceeding 47°C. Chandak attributed this trend to rapid urbanisation, high building density, and increasing concretisation, which have intensified urban heat island effects, increased cooling demand, and raised public health risks.
Citing studies conducted with C40 Cities, Chandak said cool roofs can significantly reduce indoor temperatures and improve thermal comfort during peak summer. “This marks a shift from reactive measures to integrating heat mitigation into core planning frameworks,” she said.
AMC plans a follow-up LST assessment in 2027 to evaluate the impact of the initiative against baseline data.
What’s cool roof
“A cool roof refers to the use of materials such as specialised reflective paints, tiles, or thermal membranes with a high Solar Reflectance Index, enabling the surface to reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat than conventional roofs. Studies have shown that cool roofs can reduce peak ambient temperatures by about 2.3°C and surface temperatures by 6.1°C,” said Saumya Sharma Chandak.
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