Shimla Municipal Corporation may extend deadline on red-roofing

“I don’t think, we will be able to achieve the target by the end of this year. The deadline will be extended to give citizens sometime to paint the roofs red .Winter is one reason but there are few other considerations as lot of people leave Shimla when schools are closed,” Shimla Mayor Sanjay Chauhan told the Indian Express.

As per directions of Himachal Pradesh High Court all the citizens are required to paint the roofs of their houses red or olive green (other option) after every three years. But,after 2006 –when the High Court had made it mandatory by fixing the deadline, no steps were taken by the Municipal Corporation.

However, last month the court set the ball rolling afresh and reminded the Commissioner Municipal Corporation to make the mandatory conditions of the building bylaws.

During past 20 days, the residents in many localities like Phagli, Nabha, Khalini etc have taken initiative to paint their roofs. The Municipal Corporation have received compliance reports from residents .

Total number of house owners are around 2600 in Shimla though there is no authentic data except the list of people paying house tax. Few buildings are being shared by more than one family and whether it’s the family on the top floor to spend on painting of the roof -tops or all occupants will be required to share the cost ? .This is also an issue which the Municipal Corporation will have to address .

“I am happy to notice that 70 percent of the houses in Phagli area have roofs already painted red. Earlier, we had fixed December 15 as deadline but few residents have expressed their genuine concerns relating to weather and possibilities of snow during next one month or even afterward. Even, few government agencies have to draw-up their plans and get budget sanctions. We may give final deadline of February 28 to the house owners,” said Pankaj Rai ,who recently took over as Commissioner Shimla MC.

In 2006, High Court on a PIL filed by Trisha Sharma had invoked MC Building Bylaws 41 (7) of 1998 which says “ ”Every building is required to be painted, distempered, white-washed and roof-painted once in three years by owners/occupants.”

In April 2002, under the Town and Country Plannings interim development plan for Shimla, it was also made mandatory for all new buildings to have sloping roofs and painted either maroon or green.

In 2011,the Municipal Corporation also added a new provision to made it mandatory that the roofs of all houses and government as well as commercial complexes should be painted red or green for all new buildings. The Army Training Command (ARTRAC) had chosen olive green colour for its headquarters and house occupied by the army officers. The government buildings including state Secretariat have red roofs.