CREDAI opposes MOEF Guidelines on High-Rise Buildings [June 2012]

The apex body of real estate industry, Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI), has reacted strongly against the stringent guidelines set by the Ministry of Environment and Forest for high-rise buildings in which it has asked its environment assessment committees to follow new norms for road width and distance from fire stations as factors before sanctioning ‘environmental clearance’ to construction of high-rise buildings.  The new guidelines recommends that the height of the building should be linked with the width of the road on which the proposed building is to be located; and also has proposed guidelines on the distance of fire station from the building.
CREDAI said that the MOEF should not appoint itself as the repository of all urban and housing planning knowledge and start framing rules which create in effect, excessive legislation in a subject where MOEF should at best have some advisory jurisdiction only.
Calling the new proposals as ‘draconian’, CREDAI has approached the MoEF and has asked the Ministry to re-look into the guidelines and withdraw them with immediate effect. On the stringent guidelines, Lalit Kumar Jain, President, CREDAI commented, “The MoEF cannot start laying down guidelines for fire-safety etc for which it is neither the Administrative nor the Technical authority and should refrain from encroaching upon the work areas of local bodies and other Ministries”.
He added, “While the Environment department or SEAC cannot frame building rules which falls under the jurisdiction of LUBs and state government, we urge the concerned departments to carefully study the said petition and strike down the guidelines which will act as a trendsetter for the industry”.

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