Paralyzes Our Cities...!
By Kishor Pate, Amit Enterprises Housing Ltd
Governments and
municipalities across the world are waging a war against illegal constructions
over a decade now. This has been a global phenomenon, crippling cities and
compromising their logical growth.
Urban development is not
just about high rise constructions but a painstaking planning. Open spaces and
revised construction are a part of this planning and thus countries like India
have been investing in demolitions as a planning tool.
However, illegal
constructions continue to cripple roads, public spaces and other amenities.
Successful urban planning in India will only have a future when it is
complemented by efforts to educate the masses about its importance.
Real estate
buyers need to know how illegal constructions impact regional planning and
development – and them personally.
More awareness would
lead to greater due diligence at a consumer level. We have nation-wide
campaigns about the evils of tobacco use – can such efforts not be put into
creating greater awareness about this social evil?
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| Mr. Kishor Pate, Amit Enterprises Housing Ltd. |
It is tempting to say
that education of developers is equally important; that if more real estate
developers understood the deeper rationale of urban planning, they would be far
less likely to violate municipal codes and standards. However, if we look at
the problem of illegal construction in India, it is evident that the root cause
is developers who just couldn’t care less.
Even where efforts are
undertaken to publicly explain the desirability of planning, some developers
will inevitably disregard the law purely for financial benefits. Illegal
construction is done knowingly, simply to extract financial profits from the
construction.
The main reason why
illegal construction is so profitable to unscrupulous developers is that there
is a population explosion which needs to be solved by housing. Where illegal
constructions grow alongside legal constructions, urban areas soon become
wastelands of mismanagement and pollution.
In fact, the rapid and
uncontrolled growth of population has led million in this globe to opt for
slums. In any developing city, it is not unusual to find anything between
30-60% of the population living in slums or otherwise unauthorized spaces.
Since these constructions aren’t regularized, they don’t enjoy the amenities of
piped water, storm drainage, sewers, roads, electricity, public transportation
or healthcare.
Illegal constructions
start with four walls and a ceiling, but soon take the form of high rise
building, attracting more renters. They are often seen coming up in peripheral
areas and even in premises of public utility like parks, near highways,
streets, community centers, etc.
These buildings are constructed without
the inputs of licensed engineers and architects. Failing any safety codes,
these are also the first buildings to be affected by climatic upheavals. Also,
legal constructions beside these buildings are at a risk, both physically and
socially.
The Government of
India has historically had a passive or even tolerant attitude towards such
constructions. This has resulted in several problems in areas beset by illegal
buildings, including:
·
Absence of
housing-related public services such as water and sanitation
·
The haphazard
distribution of such illegal structures makes it extremely costly for
municipalities to provide water, sewage facilities and roads even if they are
‘regularized’
·
The residents of such
areas and buildings are not eligible for loans improve their homes or to expand
business that they run from them, since banks will not accept illegal
structures as collateral
·
In the case of
multi-level residential buildings, buyers can lose their entire investments –
often their life savings -if the building is found to be illegal and demolished
It is only in the last
decade or so that India’s state governments have been waking up to the hazards
put forth by these illegal constructions. Some use demolition and others
(unable to handle the pressure) regularize them in exchange of a fee.
Poverty certainly
plays an undeniable role in illegal construction and accommodations. However,
the more relevant cause is the profit motive of unscrupulous developers.
Illegal buildings are already hijacking the future of our cities. It is high
time that the state and central governments takes the strongest possible
measures to curb this menace.
About
The Author
Kishor Pate,
Chairman & Managing Director of Amit Enterprises Housing Ltd. is
the driving force behind one of the most successful real estate development
firms in Pune and beyond.
Apart from its signature luxury homes towers and
premium gated townships, AEHL has also launched highly successful affordable
housing projects like Astonia Classic and Colori in
Undri and the Mediterrenean-style township Astonia Royale in
Ambegaon.
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