Latest news with #OccupancyCertificates
New Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Climate
- New Indian Express
Erratic spells of rain do little for groundwater levels in Telangana
HYDERABAD: While the recent spells of rain across Hyderabad did offer some relief from the sweltering heat, groundwater levels in the city remain largely unaffected. The reason? Widespread concretisation that hindered rainwater infiltration, causing most of the runoff to drain into stormwater systems rather than replenishing underground aquifers. Between May 1 and 15 this year, over 1.14 lakh water tankers were booked by consumers through the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB), with a daily average exceeding 7,610 bookings — similar to previous years. Officials confirmed that the rains had minimal impact on groundwater recharge, with most water flowing into drains instead of soaking into the soil. The groundwater in Hyderabad is classified as overexploited. Authorities have pointed to the lack of rainwater percolation due to urban development and inadequate implementation of Rain Water Harvesting Structures (RWHS). Though about 45–50% of houses and apartments have RWHS pits, many have become defunct due to poor maintenance. As borewells dry up during summer, the dependency on tankers continues. Officials said that any noteworthy recharge would require 10 to 15 consecutive days of rainfall. This means that occasional spells of rain are insufficient to restore groundwater levels. Recharge wells, or injection wells, are also being considered as a solution for direct percolation into deeper aquifers. HMWSSB has been promoting RWHS and public awareness on their benefits. The HMWSSB has urged the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation to enforce stricter compliance under the WALTA Act, particularly by verifying RWHS construction before granting Occupancy Certificates for buildings over 200 square metres. HMWSSB has also offered technical assistance for RWHS installation.
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
MahaRERA initiates OC verification of 3,699 lapsed projects
Pune: MahaRERA has launched a verification drive for Occupancy Certificates (OCs) of 3,699 lapsed real estate projects across Maharashtra, following a fake document scandal in Kalyan-Dombivli . This exercise aims to ensure the authenticity of the certificates and prevent recurrence of such frauds. MahaRERA has sent letters to all planning authorities concerned, requesting them to verify the OCs uploaded by the developers. These authorities have been issued a deadline of 10 days to respond. If no response is received within the stipulated time, MahaRERA will consider the OCs as genuine and mark the respective projects as complete. A MahaRERA official confirmed the development and said, "The developers claimed that they submitted the OCs. We asked the concerned authorities to verify and validate these documents." Further, the authority stated that the planning authorities would bear full responsibility for any later discovered discrepancies. "The developers claimed that they submitted the OCs. We asked the authorities concerned to check and validate them," a MahaRERA official said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ready to Live in 2, 3 & 4 BHK from ₹3.60 Cr* in Sec 22 Ambience Creacions, Gurugram Learn More Undo The verification covers 1,819 projects from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, 1,223 from the Pune region, 273 from Nashik, 132 from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 84 from Amravati and 168 from the Nagpur region (see box). The Kalyan-Dombivli case involved developers submitting fake documents, which were later uncovered by the local civic body. Following this, MahaRERA issued a directive to all municipal corporations to integrate their websites with the authority's portal for seamless verification of documents. Despite this directive, only the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) successfully integrated its website. As a result, other municipal authorities had to manually send emails to verify the authenticity of the submitted documents. In the Kalyan Dombivili case, as many as 58 projects were registered without verifying the authenticity of the completion certificates (CCs), which were later found to be forged. In response, the registration of these projects was revoked, and the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) was directed by the High Court to demolish the unauthorised buildings within three months. Officials highlighted that due caution was being exercised to prevent a similar situation in the future. The verification process will help ensure that developers are held accountable for providing legitimate documentation. Further, MahaRERA made it clear that if discrepancies arose after the verification, all associated risks, costs and responsibilities would fall upon the planning authority concerned. Developers who uploaded OCs are now in a position to have their projects officially completed if no objections are raised by the authorities. MahaRERA had stated that it is mandatory for all housing projects to be registered with the authority, with the OC being a crucial part of the project completion process. Only after the OC is accepted by MahaRERA can developers withdraw funds from the designated project account, and they are no longer required to submit further disclosures regarding the project. BMC officials, who already integrated their website with MahaRERA, said the process has been simplified. MahaRERA officials have urged other authorities to follow suit for a more efficient verification process. Developer bodies also called for simplified procedures, noting that delays in granting permissions—even after the OC is issued—continue to hold up projects. A city-based developer commented, "Even after complying with all rules, it is essential that permissions are given without unnecessary delays."
Hindustan Times
25-04-2025
- Hindustan Times
MahaRERA launches statewide OC verification after Dombivli scam
THANE: In a decisive response to the large-scale construction fraud uncovered in Dombivli, the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA), responsible for overseeing and ensuring transparency in the state's real estate sector, has launched an extensive verification drive for Occupancy Certificates (OCs) pertaining to 3,699 housing projects with lapsed registration. Letters have been dispatched to all relevant Planning Authorities, instructing them to verify the authenticity of the OCs uploaded by developers on the MahaRERA website. This step follows the notorious Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation scam, in which multiple developers were involved in constructing 65 illegal buildings using fraudulent documents such as fake 7/12 extracts (also known as a Satbara Utara, a crucial land record document in Maharashtra), fabricated building plans, and forged RERA approvals. The fraud, which began in 2019 and was exposed in 2022, led to the arrest of 15 individuals, including developers and agents. In November 2023, the Bombay high court ordered the demolition of these unauthorised buildings, affecting around 6,500 residents. Since then, KDMC has initiated the demolition of both occupied and unoccupied structures, leaving many unsuspecting homebuyers facing eviction. Officials have outlined that Planning Authorities have been given 10 days to verify whether the OCs uploaded by developers were genuinely issued by them. If no response is received within this deadline, MahaRERA will consider the certificates as valid. However, any discrepancies discovered after the deadline will place full responsibility for any risks and liabilities on the concerned Planning Authority. The KDMC scam exposed the vulnerability in the approval process, with fraudulent developers exploiting loopholes to secure approvals. Many residents had purchased homes under the assumption that proper documentation had been verified, only to later discover that the approvals were fraudulent. In the aftermath, KDMC has suspended one of its officials for negligence and pledged to implement stronger oversight measures to prevent such scams in the future. Under MahaRERA regulations, all housing projects must be registered before any sales can commence. Developers are required to submit quarterly progress reports and financial audits throughout the construction phase. Upon completion, the OC must be uploaded to the MahaRERA portal and verified before developers can access funds from the project's designated account.
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
MahaRera flags OC verification for 3,699 lapsed housing projects
1 2 Nagpur: In a move prompted by the recent fake document fraud in Kalyan-Dombivli, the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority ( MahaRera ) initiated a verification process of Occupancy Certificates (OCs) for 3,699 lapsed housing projects across the state, including 168 in Nagpur. Letters were sent to all concerned planning authorities, directing them to confirm the authenticity of OCs uploaded by developers within 10 days. If the respective authorities fail to respond within the stipulated period, MahaRera will treat the submitted OCs as valid. In such cases, any future discrepancies discovered will place full responsibility—including legal and financial consequences—on the concerned planning authority, a statement issued by MahaRera media advisor Ram Dontonde said. The verification follows notices earlier issued to promoters whose projects lapsed but who later claimed completion by uploading OCs on MahaRera's portal. These submissions are now under scrutiny to ensure that documents purportedly issued by planning authorities are genuine. The 3,699 lapsed projects include 1,819 from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, 1,223 from the Pune region, 273 from Nashik, 132 from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 84 from Amravati, and 168 from Nagpur. Under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, developers must register all housing projects with MahaRera and are required to submit quarterly updates and audit reports during the construction phase. After completion, uploading a valid OC is mandatory to mark a project as complete. Only upon MahaRera's acceptance of the OC can a promoter withdraw remaining funds from the escrow account and cease further disclosures for that project. The authority also warned that non-verification or false affirmation by any of the planning authority will attract strict accountability, particularly if any irregularities surface post-clearance of the new projects.
