The good, bad, and ugly of Delhi's relaxed floor norms
Real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle India elaborates on Delhi's relaxed floor norms for construction of additional floors in residential flats having multiple ownerships.
July 05, 2013 / 17:43 IST
Santhosh Kumar
Jones Lang LaSalle India
The Government has relaxed norms for construction of additional floors in residential flats having multiple ownerships, aiming to weed out corruption and help people get their building plans sanctioned without hassles. As per a new directive, people having right over third floor, will no longer require to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the other floor owners for the construction of a third floor.Also read: Supply correction good sign for Mumbai office spaceNot as simple as it seemsMunicipal corporations will have to examine structural safety and compliance of building bye-laws while giving approval for construction of the third floor. They will need to look into aspects such as structural safety, fire safety, no obstruction of passages, air and sunshine for neighbours and neighbouring buildings before approving any building plans. Also, adequate parking norms will need to be followed to get clearance. As a matter of fact, there are quite a few complications that need to be resolved to be able to effectively implement the order. As of now, the three owners of ground, first and second floors share one-third land rights. If an additional floor is to be constructed, then the other floor-owners have to forfeit their land right - which will go down from 33 to 25 percent. Moreover, if it is possible to build within the 300 floor area ratio (FAR) in any house up from 200, the other floor-owners will claim 33 percent right on the extra 100, while the second floor owners would claim it as theirs. In other words, there will certainly be legal issues that need to be addressed.It also seems evident that there will be a need to increase existing infrastructure due to this move as it will have to cater to increased population. Water, electricity and all other necessary supply systems would have to be massively ramped up in order to cater to increased demand. In short - this directive, if not complemented along with other necessary changes in the existing laws, and with the right intent and spirit, will do no significant good in reality.On the positive sideThat said, this move will not essentially result in any major influx of new population to put the existing facilities under stress. Rather, it would primarily mean creation of more housing opportunities for the currently residing population. No significant additional changes will need to be made to existing colonies.Currently in Delhi, property prices are exorbitantly high and are out of reach of middle-class consumers. This move will help to put a check on the already sky-high prices. As housing options will become more affordable, the working class population will realise their dream of owning a home in Delhi.With the acute scarcity of land in Delhi, there is very limited scope of horizontal expansion. Vertical growth remains a viable option. The move to allow building of an additional floor will increase usable FAR resulting in more efficient utilization of land.Since many such constructions have taken place in the absence of a corresponding documented policy; formal guidelines will give legitimacy to all such constructions. It will make the process smoother and help do away with involved corrupt practices.The right way to do is via the implementation with all necessary changes in bye-laws. Merely abolishing NOCs as an appeasement strategy is not recommended. To be able to implement this action with a view to the desired results, all involved complications and challenges also need to be proactively addressed.The author is the CEO of operations at Jones Lang LaSalle India. Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
