The Centre is examining whether to make durability certification mandatory for buildings, Union housing and urban affairs minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Thursday, citing recent court orders directing the demolition and reconstruction of structures declared unfit to live in as evidence of a quality crisis in construction.
Some cases have come to light recently where several buildings were declared unfit to live in, and the court has even ordered them to be demolished and rebuilt. This is a shocking matter. It causes a very big loss, a national loss, and also a loss for the entrepreneur.
The government is conducting an administrative review to determine whether a "durability certificate" should be made mandatory under which every building would meet a certified standard of structural durability.
Khattar added that while construction standards were improving, most buildings were designed for a lifespan of 60-70 years, and that project requirements should specify intended lifespans — whether 50, 100 or 500 years — balanced against affordability.
The government is also exploring development rights over airspace above transit corridors as part of its Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) policy.
Additionally, the minister announced plans to deploy funds accumulated under the Building Workers Cess to support temporary housing for construction workers at project sites.
