DTCP to carry out inspections to prevent misuse of basements
DTCP officials said that in private licensed colonies they have observed that people prefer opening clinics, shops dealing in property and similar consultancies in residential areas instead of coaching centres or other activities where crowds gather as these attract complaints from local residents
Gurugram: To prevent basements in private residential colonies from being misused, the Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) has formed a team, which shall inspect all residential areas and ensure no commercial activities such as functioning of coaching centres or similar activities are taking place in these colonies.
The DTCP said that in the last one year it has issued notices to around 1,200 illegal commercial units operating from residential areas, sealed at least 750 units while owners of another 300 units have obtained a stay from the courts.
DTCP officials said that in private licensed colonies they have observed that people prefer opening clinics, shops dealing in property and similar consultancies in residential areas instead of coaching centres or other activities where crowds gather as these attract complaints from local residents.
“We have formed a team to conduct inspections in private colonies to ensure illegal commercial activities are not carried out in residential units. The team will particularly keep a watch on basements and a sealing drive will be carried out if illegal establishments such as coaching centres are found operating there,” a DTCP official said.
According to urban development rules, basements can be used only for storage and for laying services and only in exceptional cases used for habitation. “The basements have mostly a single entry and exit and due to this reason commercial activities such as coaching centres etc. are not allowed in them. For fire exits there need to be two entries and exits which are absent in most basements. These should be only used for storage purposes as lives of people cannot be endangered in case of an emergency,” said architect Vivek Singh Rao, chairman, Indian Institute of Architects, Gurugram chapter.
Rao said that a basement is allowed for habitation only when the area is included in the FAR (Floor Area Ratio). “This is an exception,” he said.
The rampant misuse of basements for commercial purposes has assumed significance after three civil services aspirants lost their lives in Delhi last week, when an illegal coaching centre operating in a basement was suddenly flooded after heavy rainfall.
Yadav said that they will take strong action against any such illegal activity. “We appeal to the residents to inform us in case any such activity is happening in their vicinity inside a licensed colony,” he said.
