The Hindu 24.01.2011
‘City needs an updated master plan’
The district branch of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’
Associations of India (CREDAI) has warned that the absence of updated
city master plans will stunt the development of urban areas in Kerala.
CREDAI president Roy Peter, secretary general S.N.
Reghuchandran Nair and secretary R.Rajesh told mediapersons at an
interactive session here recently that the absence of master plans, with
zones earmarked for different purposes, would lead to haphazard and
unbalanced development.
Lacking in experience
“The master plan for Thiruvananthapuram is more than 40
years old. This has resulted in unnecessary controls on construction
activities. Only an updated master plan with clear land use maps can
ensure balanced development. The Chief Town Planner’s office, which is
responsible for preparing master plans, faces a paucity of experienced
hands. The solution is to outsource the plan preparation to an external
agency,” Mr. Nair said.
The confederation warned that the poor availability and
skyrocketing prices of building materials was pushing the construction
industry towards a crisis.
10 lakh houses needed
“The shortage and rising price of river sand, cement and
steel is a serious challenge for the sector at a time when the demand
for houses is peaking. The State Planning Board estimates that Kerala
will need 10 lakh houses over the next five years,” Mr. Peter said.
The frequent amendments to building rules, shortage of
skilled labour and the failure to improve infrastructure like roads,
electricity, drinking water supply and sewerage are other factors that
had hampered real estate development in the State.
According to CREDAI, almost 30 per cent of the
investment in the construction sector goes to the government as taxes.
Yet, the government had failed to ensure proper development of
supporting infrastructure, it observed.
Labour shortage
A major problem faced by most builders was the acute
shortage of labourers. “While a section of skilled labour migrated to
the Gulf, others have turned to more lucrative jobs in the domestic
sector. Migrant labourers lack hygiene and demand high wages,” he added.
The confederation said the amendments to the building
rules made in 2010 had dealt a heavy blow to the construction sector,
leading to a fall in the number of applications for building permits. It
urged the government to ensure timely revision of building rules taking
into consideration, the demands and circumstances in Kerala,
availability of land and basic facilities.
Industry tag
CREDAI called on the government to recognise the
construction sector as an industry, demarcate housing zones and develop
them with private participation. The government should ensure supply of
construction materials and take steps to control prices.
Realtors say the 40-year-old plan has put unnecessary curbs on construction activities.
