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Proposed building norms will raise property prices

The Times of India
 

New guidelines from the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) for high-rise buildings, if accepted by the government, will push up real estate prices. The expert appraisal committee (EAC) of the ministry has recommended that the height of the building should be linked to the width of the road to make provision for fire tenders to reach the building in the shortest possible time in case of emergency.

EAC has recommended a minimum road width of 15 metres (about 50 feet) for high rises between 15-30 metres, a 24-metre (about 80 ft) road for a 30-45-metre building, and a 30 metre (about 100 ft) road for any building above 60 metres. Each floor in a building is typically about 3 metres, so a 30-metre building will have ten floors, and, as per the MoEF’s guidelines, will require an 80-ft road. The MoEF guidelines also require that a building higher than 30 metres should have a fire station within a 10 km radius.

These guidelines are far more strict than existing city guidelines. In cities like Bangalore, the majority of the roads are 18 ft in width, and if the new guidelines are implemented, they can affect 60-70% of ongoing residential projects. “These limitations will raise real estate prices by at least 50%. EAC recommendations will force developers to load additional land prices to every unit area,” said Sushil Mantri, CMD of Mantri Developers.

Mantri argues that developers are already restricted by the NBC (National Building Code) guidelines. NBC is a comprehensive building code to monitor construction activity across the country. It contains administrative regulations, development control rules, fire safety requirements, stipulations regarding materials and structural design and construction.

Another developer, who did not want to be quoted, said the latest guideline has no legal standing as building byelaws are a state subject. “Which Indian city boasts of roads that are 100 ft and 80 ft wide? This would immediately push up real estate prices and could create an artificial bubble in the market,” he said.

In cities like Mumbai, where land is sparse, going vertical is the obvious choice. Gulam Zia, national director (research and advisory services) in real estate consultancy Knight Frank India, says the road infrastructure around every new high rise should be able to support the increase in traffic. The ministry is concerned about fire safefy and believes that the roads should be wide enough for at least two fire tenders to pass next to each other. But developers are reluctant to give in.

“We have made a representation to the minister of environment and forests and she has assured us that she will look in to the matter,” said Navin M Raheja, president of the National Real Estate Development Council.

Road to escalation

The expert appraisal committee has recommended that the height of the building should be linked to the width of the road to enable fire tenders to reach the spot in case of emergency.

Developers say the new guideline has no legal standing as building byelaws are a state subject.

The new guidelines will force developers to load additional land prices to every unit area.