Construction of floors triggers conflicts among Panchkula people

Amit Bathla

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, December 10

Pawan Kumar of Sector 11, DD Sharma of Sector 2, and RS Kathuria of Sector 11……..the list of those, who call themselves victims of amendments in the Haryana Building Code of 2018, which allows people to build ground plus three floors, and in case of a stilt parking, a stilt plus four floors, goes on.

The “indiscriminate construction of new floors” by their neighbours, as they put it, has left irreparable damages like cracked walls and floors, damaged roofs in their houses, leading to conflicts among them.

They said, “It is putting burden on adjacent houses and infrastructure, particularly in old sectors and depriving them of basics of life – privacy, air, and sunlight.”

Obstructing air and light

• SK Nayar, president, Citizens’ Welfare Association, Panchkula said, “The indiscriminate construction of new floors is also obstructs wind and light, which are basic requirements of any human being.”
• AK Gupta, an expert on the subject and a retired official of the Chandigarh Administration, said, “The key reason for buildings not able to take load is that two structures share the same boundary wall. If construction is done as per the bearing capacity, such problems can be resolved.”
• Rakesh Sandhu, Estate Officer, HSVP, said they had been receiving such complaints on a regular basis and constantly appraising the higher authorities about the same. “Notice is served upon the owner, if building code is not followed,” he said.
• According to amendments of the Haryana Building Code, no frame control shall be applicable on residential plotted buildings.
• Amendments to the Haryana Building Code have increased maximum permissible floor area ratio (FAR). It also allows people to build ground plus three floors and in case of a stilt parking, a stilt plus four floors, as the maximum permissible height has been increased from 12 to 15 metres.

In some cases, the issue has even led to people ending in a physical confrontation and subsequently filing police complaints against each other. A few, like DD Sharma of Sector 2, have also approached the court.

Almost all claim, they had approached the Haryana Shahri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) and other authorities concerned for a resolution, but to no avail.

Take the case of Pawan Kumar, who lives in house number 706, Sector 11. He said his house developed cracks and suffered damages due to the ongoing construction of a stilt plus four floors in the adjoining plot. The dispute led to a quarrel. Eventually, both parties filed FIRs against each other.

Meanwhile, Pawan Kumar approached the HSVP with his complaint.

The Estate Officer of the HSVP, Panchkula, subsequently issued a show-cause notice to the owner of his adjoining house under Section 17(3) of the HSVP Act, 1977 and asked him to stop the construction.

Urging the HSVP to amend bylaws, Pawan Kumar said, “The construction of additional floors should not be allowed in old sectors. Old structures develop cracks and walls get damaged as these are common between two houses.”

RS Kathuria, a residential of the area said, “Due to construction of stilt parking plus four floors in the adjoining plot, my house developed cracks. It even caused dampness and structural damaged in our residence. But, the HSVP didn’t take any action against our neighbour despite several letters dispatched to the authority in this regard.”

SK Nayar, president, Citizens’ Welfare Association, said, “With the permission for additional floors, the old houses adjacent to under-construction homes are unable to bear the load. The major reason was the increase in the floor area ratio (FAR).”