Adarsh and Lavasa housing projects have become household names. With environmental concerns being a major concern in realty sector, major construction projects have recently been pulled up by the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) on the ground of violation of norms. Notices for the demolition or cease-construction for these projects are pending. Thus, for an investor it will serve well to ensure that all environmental clearances have been obtained rather than investing money in property that may face the risk of demolition in the future.
It is vital for end users looking to purchase or construct property, to acquaint themselves with these rules and regulations and the various clearances that are required. In Delhi, for any major construction project, the Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) is to give the final go-ahead. For someone looking to invest in property, the issue of environmental clearances becomes critical; however, the situation would change from city to city. There are also local level bodies from which clearances might be required like the DUAC, Yamuna Standing Committee (YSC), Delhi Pollution Control Committee, in Delhi and it would not be a bad idea to ask builders for all clearance certificates before investing in a property. One must be careful before investing, must either approach local authorities, or lawyers and architects concerned to ensure that there have been no violations.