JP Dalal, the Minister of Town and Country Planning in Haryana, officially announced on Tuesday that builders will be allowed to construct buildings consisting of stilts and four floors in some residential sectors.

Under the newly approved policy, four floors with stilts can be constructed in sectors where the layout plan allows for four dwelling units per plot. It is also applicable for plots abutting 10-meter wide roads where the layout plan permits three dwelling units per plot provided a mutual consent agreement is executed with all adjoining plot allottees. This policy is also applicable to licensed Deen Dayal Upadhyay Jan Awas Yojana (DDJAY) colonies which are affordable housing schemes for economically weaker sections (EWS) and low-income group (LIG) urban areas.

Stilt+4th Floor Guidelines

The department intends to launch a web portal that would address queries and provide public information regarding the new policy.

Reactions among Gurugram residents have been mixed so far – while some feel it could lead towards modernization as well as increased housing capacity, others are worried about already overburdened infrastructure, parking woes, and population density issues.

“In order to prevent stilt area from being enclosed, it has been decided that if the area is fully or partially enclosed then construction shall not be accorded approval/withdrawn and occupation certificate shall not be issued,” said Dalal during a press conference held here today.

Arun Gupta Additional Chief Secretary of Town & Country Patting informed that around 168000 plots in Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) sectors across urban estates fall under this new policy. “Around 61% of HSVP residential plots across the state will become eligible for stilt plus four floors,” said Gupta.

Gurugram Home Developer Association expressed satisfaction with the new policy saying that this will help many people who want to buy a house in Gurugram. “Today, the cost of apartments is so high that many people have no option other than renting. This policy will lead to more houses being constructed and thus will lead to more options of affordable housing,” said Narender Yadav, president of the Gurugram Home Developer Association.

However, some residents like Kusum Sharma from Suncity Township in Sector 54 raised concerns about the practicality of the policy. Sharma highlighted potential disputes between neighbors on consent agreements and claimed that traffic congestion could increase due to illegal parking in residential areas.

According to developers, there are economic benefits for both real estate sector as well as state government through this policy. Santosh Agarwal CFO & Executive Director Alphacorp said that this meets rising housing demands in urban areas like Panchkula and Gurugram while ensuring efficient land use with proper safety compliance through stringent conditions backed by expert reviews thereby supporting the state’s vision towards sustainable urban development and driving economic growth.

Pradeep Aggarwal – Founder & Chairman of Signature Global (India) Ltd added that it would create significant opportunities for the aspirational homebuyer segment and property valuations will go up with opening the premium housing segment for high-quality development under revised norms.

KL Sharma Chairperson of citizens’ group JAAGO GURUGRAM requested the government to make rooftop solar mandatory in every new building along with water harvesting structure so as to enhance sustainability. He also stressed using greywater for kitchen gardens, flush toilets, etc., treating blackwater for safe reuse which shall reduce the load on electrical infrastructure besides preventing frequent breakdowns of supply

Gauri Sarin, the person who started Making Model Gurugram (MMG) as a citizens’ initiative pointed out that there should be better infrastructural systems put in place to cater for higher density without sacrificing the living conditions of people already living there. She called upon authorities to take measures that will ensure Gurugram does not become another Delhi in terms of traffic congestion.