CHENNAI: Building and development rules and regulations, including building permits, planning permission and fire safety norms, may soon be made common for the entire country under Development and Building Regulations 2022 prepared by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
According to sources, BIS, functioning under the Ministry of Consumer affairs, Food and Public Distribution, has planned to promote the use of the National Building Code 2016 in all states, including Tamil Nadu. It has come out with a development and building regulation draft aimed at improving efficiency and transparency of regulatory bodies to help people build safe and functional buildings by utilising the services of registered construction professionals.
In Tamil Nadu, a two-day workshop was held for officials from the Directorate of Town and Country Planning and Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority. BIS aims to develop and frame a set of rules and regulations, which if adopted by regulatory bodies like CMDA and DTCP, will improve the ease of doing business for the construction industry. The commonality in rules and regulations across India will allow people to build faster, safer and better buildings, sources said.
According to sources, BIS has come out with a uniform Draft Development and Building Regulations 2022 after carrying out a comprehensive study of existing statutory mechanisms, rules and regulations governing land, development and building construction in the country, and mapping them to the provisions of National Building Code of 2016 and other best practices. The draft is being presented to all states for adoption by the respective regulatory bodies.
Sources said concerns and issues raised by TN would be discussed and modifications or changes suggested by various states would be incorporated to ensure that the final draft suits the requirement of all states, union territories and cities.
According to the draft regulations accessed by TNIE, BIS has suggested a timeframe for giving building permits and planning permissions. It has also come out with a format for completion certificates, notice for commencement of development, construction or demolition, and quality assurance inspection, among others. The BIS development regulations have also incorporated transferable development rights --- a compensation mechanism in the form of Floor Space Index or Development Rights that shall entitle the owner for construction of built-up-area. The draft regulations have norms for footpath, setback, open spaces, off-street parking facilities, urban design, and fire and life safety.
Former Anna University professor of urban engineering K P Subramanian said development regulations are a part of master plans, which implies that it varies from city to city. Aggregates obscure the reality and it’s more so if it’s a national average. Therefore, at best it may be a model and be adapted by cities with appropriate changes, he said.
A Shankar, head, Government Advisory and Solutions, Jones Lang LaSalle, India, said the new regulations focus more on new construction technologies that were lacking in state-level regulations. “Since it is a standard, consumers stand to benefit from it. But how the regulations will pan out, one has to wait and watch,” he said.
Better buildings
BIS has come out with a draft to improve the efficiency and transparency of regulatory bodies and to help people build safe and functional buildings