Stilt parking pushes up construction cost by 20%

The provision for a mandatory nine-feet-high stilt parking has led to an increase in the overall cost of construction by almost 20 per cent. Due to the clause, new houses in Delhi no longer start from the ground but from the first floor. Neelam Pandey reports. Ground realities of parking in Capital

The provision for a mandatory nine-feet-high stilt parking has led to an increase in the overall cost of construction by almost 20 per cent. Due to the clause, new houses in Delhi no longer start from the ground but from the first floor.

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Officials said they have received a number of representations from various Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) asking the civic agencies to remove the mandatory stilt parking clause for any new construction.

The clause was introduced to address the growing parking space problem in residential areas. However, even those who have ample parking space have been forced to start construction of the residential area from the first floor.

The three municipal corporations have sent a proposal to the Delhi government's director of local bodies for the removal of the clause. A final decision will be taken by the director of local bodies. A meeting was held on Friday in which the proposal was presented to the director of local bodies and the problems of plot owners were discussed.

The unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had issued a circular, making construction of parking space within the building mandatory, without which no building plan would have been sanctioned.

"There is no enforcement mechanism in place to check whether areas reserved for parking is being used for the purpose or something else. There are a number of smaller plot owners who don't possess multiple vehicles and would not have constructed stilt parking, had it not been mandatory. A number of people have complained that they are facing problems due to this clause," said a senior official.

The three corporations have said in case the clause is not removed completely, it should not be applied to those having a bigger plot area than 300 square metres.

"Those who have huge plots and are able to create parking space within the premises should not be forced to create stilt parking. Those who want to use the area for constructing a garden or leave it open should be allowed to do so," added the official.

The clause also says people applying for sanction to carry out additions/alterations in the existing structure such as construction of an additional floor will also have to make provision of parking space within their premises.