The Centre has issued a draft rule that at least one tree for every 80 square meter of land needs to be planted within construction sites for both residential and commercial buildings, ensuring 10 per cent green cover for every plot.
The draft notification of the Building Construction Environment Management Regulations, 2022, was issued on February 28 by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, which has invited suggestions and objections over the next two months before the final rules are issued.
The new rules will be applicable for buildings having a built-up area of or greater than 5000 square metres, and this covers expansion, renovation or repair of existing buildings also.
The notification says that for buildings, roads, paved areas, and external services, topsoil should be stripped only up to a maximum depth of 20 cm. The soil should be stockpiled in designated areas and reapplied during the plantation of the proposed vegetation on the sites.
Certain other regulations without abiding by which projects will not get completion or occupancy certificates are also part of the notification. If a common sewage plant is not available, on-site plants with 100 per cent waste water treatment capacities will need to be installed. Rainwater harvesting or ground water recharge systems will also be mandatory.
No construction will be allowed on wetland and waterbodies, and no groundwater should be used for building construction without the Central Ground Water Authority’s approval.
Projects will need to put in place dual plumbing systems—one for supplying fresh water for drinking, cooking and bathing, and another for supplying treated water for toilets, landscapes, fire-fighting etc. Projects above 20,000 square meters will require on-site solid waste management facilities with arrangements with authorized recyclers or municipal agencies for disposing non-biodegradable waste.
The ministry constituted an expert committee in January 2021 to examine state by-laws and other existing rules and to recommend new regulations for building construction and township projects. The new rules are based on its recommendations.
“Standardized, outcome-based and quantifiable environmental regulations”, according to the draft notification, are necessary for effective environment protection and management and “to bring in transparency in approach and encourage ease of doing business”.
The ministry has also said monitoring mechanisms need to be expanded through third-party audits, “encouraging green certifications and leveraging on the presence of regulatory agencies at different levels of governance”. Compliance with the new rules, however, “do not substitute” approvals required to be obtained under other laws. In the event of the proposed rules clashing with any other regulations, whichever rule is more stringent will apply, the notification added.
