The announcement of reduction
of Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) from 10 km to 100 meter around the Okhla Bird
Sanctuary has spread cheer among home buyers, who now will be able to get
occupancy certificates for their apartments embroiled in the controversy for
long. The declaration has come a day after the National Green Tribunal (NGT)
directed the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to issue final
notification on ESZ near the sanctuary. The official notification will be
issued soon.
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The central government's move to reduce the area of eco sensitive
zone (ECZ) around the Okhla Bird Sanctuary will benefit over 50,000 home
buyers. |
Resolution to the long
pending issue has given a sigh of relief to both home buyers and developers in
the area. Nearly 2.5 lakh people were left stranded because of the issue, while
the projects of around 40 developers including those of Jaypee, Amrapali,
Supertech, Paramount and ATS were impacted. After the notification, allottees
of flats in completed projects will be able to get possessions by the end of
this year. Over 30,000 home buyers are awaiting immediate possession of
their apartments, while 50,000 others are expecting possessions by the end of
this year. Jaypee Infrastructure, one of the impacted developer, is expected to
give possession of nearly 5,000 flats.
The move also allows
developers to complete their stalled projects in the area. Another real estate
giant, DLF will resume construction of its 2 million sq ft mall. The company
plans to complete it by April 2016. Industry players have welcomed the
move and believe that it will help boost the real estate market of the region.
Amit Modi, Vice President, CREDAI Western UP said, “The decision provided the
much needed clarity on the fate of several real estate infrastructure projects,
which were severely affected due to the order passed by the NGT. Ambiguity on
the ESZ around the sanctuary has already cost the local economy more than Rs
2000 crore.”
“The final notification clubbed with
the non-increment in circle rates for group housing apartments, will bring an
overall positive swing in the sentiment of buyers as well as developers,” says
Brijesh Bhanote, Director (Sales and Marketing), Lotus Greens Developers Pvt.
Ltd.
Prashant Tiwari, Chairman, Prateek
Group feels that the swift implementation of this order will lead to an upward
trend in sales in this upcoming quarter.
The move will also bring in the much
needed capital influx for local exchequer and increase the property
registration activity in the area, which had slowed down by nearly 30%
year-on-year basis. Modi from CREDAI, however, urged the state government to
show some flexibility on stamp duty charges for affected home buyers. He said,
“We request the state stamp and registration department to provide the home
buyers with some relief concessions on stamp duty charges in effect due to
revised circle rates at the start of this month."
Time line of the Okhla Bird
Sanctuary Case:
- The Okhla Bird Sanctuary is spread over 3.5 square
kilometres of area. In 1990, state government of Uttar Pradesh,
declared it a protected area under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
- In October 2013, a petition was filed by a local
environmentalist seeking stay on commercial activities happening in an
around the Sanctuary. The NGT then issued a statement directing the New
Okhla Industrial Development Authority to not issue ‘Completion
Certificates (CC)’ to any structure falling within 10 km of Okhla bird
sanctuary or Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ). The issuance of CC was suspended
till the time No Objection Certificate from the National Board of Wild
Life (NBWL) is obtained.
- In June 2014, the Supreme Court upheld the order
after Jaypee Infrastructure filed a plea seeking Completion Certificate
for its construction in the area.
As many as 55,000 home buyers will
benefit from the central government's move on Tuesday to reduce the area of the
eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around the Okhla Bird Sanctuary.