Considering mandatory durability certificates for buildings: Khattar

THe Centre is examining whether to do durability enfranchisement mandatory for buildings, unification lodging and urban affairs government 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,” he said.Speaking at Bharat Buildcon 2026 real estate industry eventin New Delhi, Khattar said the government was 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. “We are administratively considering whether to make a ‘durability certificate’ mandatory...so that there is a certified system of durability for every building, so that the consumer can be assured that the building is safe and secure,” he said.He 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.Khattar cited the new Parliament building, Kartavya Path and the upcoming Kartavya Bhawans as government projects where durability, construction technology and material quality had received special attention.Airspace policy under considerationKhattar also indicated the government was exploring development rights over airspace above transit corridors as part of its Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) policy. TOD is an urban planning strategy that clusters housing, jobs, and amenities around public transit stations with easy walking and cycling connections which reduces the need for motorised transport.The government had directed maximum housing construction within 500 metres of railway and metro corridors across the country, he said, and was now examining whether builders could be granted rights to the airspace above railway tracks, metro lines and roads.“Rights to airspace should be given to builders, so that over railway tracks, metro tracks and roads, if our technology permits and standards allow, we can construct ten or more buildings above them,” he said, adding that land currently constituted the largest component of project costs and removing land constraints was the purpose of “extensive policy work” under way. He said the government would seek industry views on the proposal.Workers’ cess to fund site housingThe minister also announced plans to deploy funds accumulated under the Building Workers Cess to support temporary housing for construction workers at project sites.“One decision we have taken is that for contractors who provide temporary accommodation for workers at construction sites during the construction period, we are preparing a plan to provide assistance from this cess towards the cost of creating such housing at camp sites. We will share details with you very soon,” Khattar said.