Now, Developers In Noida Will Need Floor-Wise Plan Approval From IITs

The Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) recently announced that developers would now have to get floor-wise safety approvals for their structural plans from the various Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). So far, a developer had to take a single structural approval from the authority for going ahead with the construction of a skyscraper.

While the Greater Noida Masterplan 2011 was conceived as early as in 1992, it wasn't until the early 2000s that developers started looking beyond Noida city centre. Construction activity in the periphery -- Noida Extension and Greater Noida -- was initiated only after. Land availability was not an issue, as owners were more than willing to get a piece of India's sweet real estate pie. The development that started then has resulted into developers vying for every inch of the 38,000-hectare land in Greater Noida for constructing landmark highrises.

As the number of highrises went alarmingly up, the prevalent norms monitoring safety issues certainly needed a tweak. And, GNIDA's recent move seems to be a right step in that direction.

It should be noted that Noida Extension and Great Noida, falling in seismic zone four, are prone to earthquakes. High-intensity tremors that shook many parts of India and beyond in the past two years have also been a cause for concern among governments across the world. Therefore, putting in place strong safety measures for construction activities seems imperative.

While some fear that the new GNIDA move might further delay project construction in the city -- buyers in Noida and adjoining regions have suffered because of long projects delays and cancellations -- most think roping in IITs to monitor developers' building plans is a good decision. It has been reported that about three lakh housing units in various stages of construction will be impacted when the authority move gets a final go-ahead.

"This seems a buyer-friendly move from the authority, but we have to see that this does not hurt the proposed deadline of the projects. The industry is already going through a phase of project delays and I hope this does not add to the worry of the developers' body," The Economic Times Realty quoted Suresh Garg, Credai Secretary for Western Uttar Pradesh, as saying.

However, the move will help all stakeholders to a great extent. How so?

• Safety comes first: Even if we assume that housing projects will see delays when IITs go through each floor plan of a developer and end up finding faults in it, home buyers would still prefer living in a safe building than hurrying their entry into a structure whose safety might be suspect.

• Developers' reputation may improve: The onus of the safety of a building is on the developer. Safer constructions will help them earn better names. In any case, it's better late than sorry when it comes to building highrises that are going to house thousands and whose safety is in your hands.

• The process may, in fact, become swifter: That projects approvals will be delayed is only an assumption. On the contrary, things might actually speed up. By pitching in IITs, the GNIDA will be able to share a huge load of work with these institutions without spending too much. (How modalities of the venture will work out are not public yet.) This will take some work load off the authority officials, and maintaining better safety standards would become easier. 

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