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Urban Planning

Few takers for GHMC's ‘Green Channel'

Saturday, 20 November 2010 04:54 administrator
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The Hindu      20.11.2010

Few takers for GHMC's ‘Green Channel'

With the GHMC receiving only 16 applications so far, it has decided to remove certain clauses following requests from architects/engineers


Yet to catch up:The GHMC's Green Channel initiative promising building permissions within four days has evoked cautious response from public.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) ‘Green Channel' promising automatic approval to specified building permissions within four days of submission of application launched last month has evoked a cautious response.

Approvals are based on self-undertaking by land owners and applicants have to adhere to all mandatory building norms and pay up all the required fees beforehand. Permissions will be given to constructions coming up in plots of up to 1,000 sq.mts and ground plus three floors or a height of 12 metres excluding the parking floors.

Chief City Planner G.V. Raghu said 16 applications were received so far and observed that it would take some time for the people to warm up to it. In fact, to give a fillip to the ‘Green Channel'(GC), a Rs.25,000 bank guarantee, personal undertaking by the architect/engineer concerned and even periodic compliance reports on progress of construction were removed.

These steps were taken few days after the launch following requests from the licensed technical persons (architects/engineers) as they felt that the provisions were too harsh. It was also claimed that the land owners have to be held accountable as they little say deciding on deviations if any.

Impediments

“Many felt the penal rules were harsh as it spoke of imprisonment too. In any case, the technical personnel have to take licenses from us so we have some control over them,” he said. Reasons for the slow response could be because of the recent Government move to bring constructions in plots between 300 sq.mts and 100 sq.mts under the mortgage clause has also made people apprehensive, he felt. Under the clause, 10 per cent of the built up area has to be mortgaged to the local municipal body as a guarantee against any deviation of the sanctioned plan during construction. In case of a deviation the local body can auction the mortgaged part or even demolish it.

Earlier, this clause was made applicable to only multi-storied buildings and officials testify that deviations have been controlled to a large extent due to the clause. Also, Mr. Raghu pointed out that other deterrence to use GC could be that building fee has to be paid in full in advance whereas in the usual course, builders are more used to pay 10 per cent fee to initially obtain permissions and take up to three years to pay the rest!

Under GC, applicants must get plans made by licensed technical persons registered with HMDA/ GHMC/ Council of Architecture or Engineers/Surveyors registered with GHMC to ensure conformity to Master Plan / Zoning Regulations / Building Rules and Regulations as well as various Government orders. Such plans should be submitted through these technical personnel at Citizen Service Centres (CSCs) enclosing all relevant documents and prescribed fee payment in full in the form of two DDs – one for an amount of Rs.10,000 and remaining balance amount in the form of DD in the name of Commissioner, GHMC. Permissions will be given within four clear working days pending post site inspection. TP staff has 15 days to inspect. They can cancel plans if any discrepancy is found and in case, the staff do not inspect within a stipulated time, a fine of Rs. 50 a day will be charged. GC forms are available at CSC or can be downloaded from www.ghmc.gov.in.

V.GEETANATH

 

MCD let illegal buildings come up: Sheila

Friday, 19 November 2010 10:27 administrator
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The Times of India          19.11.2010

MCD let illegal buildings come up: Sheila

 NEW DELHI: A specially-convened cabinet meeting on Thursday evening put its stamp of approval on the judicial inquiry instituted on Wednesday into the building collapse at Lalita Park. A tense chief minister retorted to queries squarely blaming the MCD for the illegal constructions and mess in the area.

"First the MCD allows it all to come up and now in panic goes about ordering evacuations from unsafe buildings," CM Sheila Dikshit lashed out on being asked what was the government's plan for rehabilitating those who have been asked to evacuate the unsafe buildings. She, however, mellowed down a few minutes later and told mediapersons that a meeting will be held in a day or two to work out a policy to deal with such a situation.

As the cabinet meeting ended, urban development minister and Laxmi Nagar MLA A K Walia was missing in action. While some said Walia must have been monitoring the building collapse issue since it falls in his constituency, the other rumour doing the rounds was that Walia had sent a message expressing his inability to attend the cabinet as he was unwell. Earlier in the day when the CM was asked to comment on reports that the accused owner of the building, Amrit Singh, had named Walia, she shot back saying, "Do you believe him?". Walia had denied the accused building owner's allegations on Wednesday through an official statement.

Meanwhile, Dikshit asserted that the one-member judicial commission set up to probe the collapse will find out what led to the incident and suggest measures to overhaul the system which can act as a "deterrent" against such tragedies. "We will also go into other aspects like who all were responsible for such a tragedy and who all were responsible for allowing a three-storey building to have five storeys. When all these things will come out, we can find a solution," Dikshit had pointed on the sidelines of a function earlier in the day. The inquiry, to be conducted by former Delhi high court judge Justice Lokeshwar Prashad, will probe all aspects of the incident, including whether there was any procedural, administrative, and statutory lapses that led to the tragedy. While a blame game has already begun between MCD and Delhi government, with both passing the buck to each other over the tragedy, Dikshit said, "What is essential is accountability. There is connivance." She said local bodies like MCD are responsible for giving no-objection certification, passing building plans, examining land and the landowners.

The cabinet, too, dwelled on the issue of multiplicity of authorities and the lack of full statehood as a major deterrent in delivery of services and monitoring of land and law and order concerns. The cabinet also discussed the possibilities of taking up the matter with the Centre to reaffirm their demand for bringing MCD and policing under the state.

 

MCD orders survey, then says it has no structural engineers

Friday, 19 November 2010 10:18 administrator
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Indian Express                19.11.2010

MCD orders survey, then says it has no structural engineers

Express News Service Tags : accident, building collapse, municipal corporation of delhi Posted: Fri Nov 19 2010, 02:50 hrs

New Delhi:  With the MCD unable to figure out where to put them up, the residents of 38 houses near Lalita Park, who had been asked to vacate, will get two more days to move out. But the MCD is in a spot as far as the survey is concerned, with officials pointing out that it has no structural engineers to carry out the safety checks.

In response to an RTI query, the MCD had declared four months ago that it will form a panel of structural engineers for inspecting buildings, but never got around to doing it. MCD Commissioner KS Mehra said they had started preliminary work but “it got delayed due to the lack of availability of good structural engineers”.

“We are, however, working in the direction and the panel should be ready in some time,” he added, without giving a deadline.

To tide over the current situation, however, the MCD has sought help from the Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee to survey properties that are dangerous. “For the 38 buildings we have a team of civil engineers who are very competent,” said MCD spokesperson Deep Mathur.

MCD Standing Committee chairman and BJP leader Yoginder Chandolia, meanwhile, said the families served notices were refusing to vacate their houses. “If they do not vacate by Friday, their houses will be sealed,” he said. After the houses are vacated, the MCD is supposed to check them and file a report within four days, he added. “There will be another survey of the entire area, whose report will come out in 15 days,” he added.  But MCD Works Committee chairman Jagdish Mamgain said the survey may not work out well in the absence of structural engineers.

“Structural engineers are trained to conduct tests to find out the strength of the buildings. The MCD has no such engineers, so it will be difficult to do the study,” he said.

Last Updated on Friday, 19 November 2010 10:20
 
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