Building bylaws being flouted with impunity in Faridabad

Bijendra Ahlawat

Faridabad, June 5

Despite the notification of building bylaws by the state government and reports of regulations on the construction of stilt-plus-four floors in urban residential sectors, rampant and unchecked violations in various parts of the city have been reported, according to sources.

Although a ban had been in effect on the construction of stilt-plus-four floors in plotted sectors without approval of the building plan for the past year, unauthorised constructions in parts of the city have been ongoing in a clandestine manner, according to sources in the civic administration. These buildinging have a stilt floor, which is raised above the ground level, and have additional four floors above it.

“The recent issuance of a notice stating that action shall be taken against all such cases in which an occupancy certificate has been issued for the fourth floor without a building plan sanctioned before February 23, 2023, and restoration of such construction to its original position seems to reflect such violations,” says Vishnu Goel, a resident here.

He claims poor action on the part of the authorities concerned has exacerbated the problem, estimating that the number of illegal constructions could be in hundreds across all three zones of the Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF). While the then MCF Commissioner had ordered the sealing of as many as 30 illegal constructions in the NIT zone of the city in August 2022, which had been found to be constructed in violation of the norms, a comprehensive drive is still awaited, according to sources.

“With hundreds of floor area ratio violations, many buildings have also been constructed with four floors on plots smaller than 180 sq yards, which is the minimum size allowed for stilt plus four floor buildings,” says Varun Sheokand, a resident.

“Allowing construction of stilt-plus-four floors in densely populated and congested sectors has wreaked havoc, resulting in numerous problems related to civic infrastructure and damage to old houses,” says Sumer Khatri, a resident who raised the matter with the Department of Town and Country Planning. It has led to narrowing of internal roads and parking problems.

Jitender Kumar, Joint Commissioner, MCF, NIT zone, said the matter would be addressed in accordance with the policy and regulations of the state government.

Wreaking havoc

Allowing construction of stilt-plus-four floors in densely populated and congested sectors has wreaked havoc, resulting in numerous problems related to civic infrastructure and damage to old houses. — Sumer Khatri, a resident