Safety audit of all residential buildings in Noida on the cards

The Noida authority has decided to approve the guidelines for the safety audit of residential buildings in its upcoming board meeting. The date of the meeting is yet to be finalised, but sources said that it will take place soon. The safety audit was demanded by apartment owners after multiple roofs collapsed in a housing society in Gurugram last month.

The Noida authority’s chief executive officer (CEO) Ritu Maheshwari had directed the town planning department to formulate detailed guidelines in this regard. These guidelines will be first approved in the upcoming board meeting and then implemented on ground.

“The guidelines will define the role of every stakeholder,” said Maheshwari.

The guidelines will also define who will take care of the safety audit in old buildings where the developer has handed over the job of maintenance to the apartment owners association. According to the Uttar Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (UP-RERA), the apartment owners’ association (AOA) must take care of the safety audit of buildings instead of builders.

“The rule states that if the building is less than five years old, then the homebuyers have the right to file a complaint in UP-RERA to seek remedy in cases related to the maintenance or the safety of structures. If any complaint is received by us, we will address the issue in accordance with the existing rules,” said Rajive Kumar, the chairman of UPRERA.

The Noida authority is formulating the guidelines so that all cases related to the safety of structures and maintenance of residential buildings are addressed properly.

“Once the guidelines are approved, the realtors or the AOA will not be able to pass the buck. We have demanded a safety audit because currently builders evade responsibility in new buildings,” said Manish Kumar, vice president of the Noida Extension Flat Owners’ Welfare Association (NEFOWA).

According to the authority data, there are at least 700 high-rise buildings in Noida.