NCR builders warn of impact on buyers

NOIDA/GURGAON: Builders across NCR put up a brave face and welcomed the NGT’s guidelines on construction sites, but the nervousness was palpable as they just 24 hours to ensure compliance.
“We welcome the guidelines given by the NGT,” Manoj Gaur, president of CREDAI in NCR told TOI. “Now that guidelines have been clarified and enumerated, it is not going to be too difficult for any builder to adhere to those.While most builders do stick to the rule book, now they have a clear directive regarding what is expected of them. The measures suggested by the court are not difficult to enforce and they will be exercised,” he added.
But there were others who felt halting construction with immediate effect was no solution to curbing pollution levels in the long run. Navin Raheja, chairman, National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO), told TOI investors who had put in their hard-earned money to buy a house and were facing delivery delays due to a slump in the real estate market would be hit hard if building activity was stopped. “So, the order should be seen as the move to strictly implement the environment ministry and NGT guidelines rather than a ban on construction activities. Government agencies should work out a solution to check pollution levels and strictly implement environment-related guidelines,” he added.
Gaurav Yadav, a real estate consultant in Gurgaon, most new projects in the city are running behind schedule by three to four years.
“If construction is stopped due to this order, chances are thin that the developer will pay additional compensation for the delay to investors,” he said.
Prashant Solomon, MD, Chintels Group, said, “Developers have obtained all necessary clearances and should be allowed to construct homes for lakhs of buyers. Complying with environmental rules is necessary but this is done by the state environment boards for which a six-monthly environment report is sent and their concerns are communicated to the developers to solve them in a systematic manner,” he said.