Floor safety nod from IITs must for builders in Gr Noida

The Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority will soon make it mandatory for developers to seek a floor-wise safety certification from IITs for under-construction buildings in Greater Noida and Noida Extension. The stricter construction norms are being introduced as a measure to ensure that buildings, especially highrises, can withstand earthquakes, said officials.

According to GNIDA officials, the safety certifications will be based on the National Building Code of India and all builders will have to submit a report to the authority after the IIT clearance in order to continue construction. Assistant CEO of GNIDA, P C Gupta, said, "The decision has been taken unilaterally in a recent board meeting." The notification for this will be issued soon, he added.

The decision will affect over three lakh apartments in Noida Extension and Greater Noida that are in various stages of construction and completion. So far, the norm was for all builders to seek a structural safety clearance before starting construction and after completing the project to get completion certificates from GNIDA. Now, safety clearances will have to be taken for every floor.

According to GNIDA sources, the measures are being adopted in Noida Extension and Greater Noida as a number of highrises clutter the skyline here. The entire region falls under Seismic Zone 4, which makes it prone to earthquakes. The spate of quakes in last year that shook NCR has also put the lens on whether the quality of constructions here is enough to resist stronger earthquakes.

The buyers' associations have welcomed the news. "Any initiative which is pro-safety and pro-buyer is welcome. However, such approval and clearances should have a direct impact. There is a need for supervision on the building process by the authority," Indrish Gupta, co-founder of Noida Extension Flat Owners Welfare Association said. In response to the initiative, the builders' association, Credai, said the move is welcome as long as it does not delay construction process. "This seems a buyers' friendly move from authority but we have to check that this should not hurt the proposed deadline of the projects. The industry is already going through phase of project delays and I wish this should not add the worry of developers body," said Suresh Garg, secretary, Credai, western UP.

SOURCE: ETRealty