Remote sensing to help Noida identify illegal buildings

NOIDA: Considering large stretches of village areas which are illegal and overgrown with encroachment, the Uttar Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (UP Rera) has taken the support of the Remote Sensing Application Centre (RSAC) for a site inspection of projects which overstep plans in a region between Lucknow and Barabanki.

The knowledge from the exercise to map and detect plan-transgression is expected to be implemented in future to map and regulate property encroachment in cities like Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad in future where rampant unauthorized real estate growth in villages or villages notified for acquisition has been a major problem for the administration.

“We are at present in the process of implementing remote sensing technology-based mapping at a stretch of land in Barabanki region. At a later stage, such satellite imaging-based observation and record of land stretches and plan transgression will also be implemented in cities like Noida, Ghaziabad and Greater Noida where encroachment and illegal growth of housing are evident,” member, UP Rera, Balwinder Kumar told TOI.

According to UP Rera officers, one of the biggest challenges in regulating real estate in the Uttar Pradesh are the rural areas which are built without sanctioned plans. In Gautam Buddh Nagar, there are over 400 complaints from buyers who are not registered with UP Rera in notified areas. But the bigger challenge is to bring the projects in the rural and unauthorized areas under the net of regulation.

“We have held meetings with the Authority over the houses that continue to be built in the villages without any legal validity, but so far no solution has come forth. We would make a proposal to the UP State government to create a mechanism to bring rural real estate development under some sort of regulation for the purpose of safety. We are ready to partner with any government department to help bring these under a set of regulations,” Kumar added.

According to the district magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar, only 88 villages in Noida and Greater Noida continue to be legally rural and under the administration; rest are all notified for acquisition by the authorities in charge.

“It is known openly and widely that the district administration of Gautam Buddh Nagar has only 88 villages under it. The rest of the areas where unauthorized construction is taking place are largely rural areas, notified by Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) for acquisition. Thus, notified areas cannot be regulated by the district administration GNIDA has to bring these buildings under their control and regulation,” BN Singh, district magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar said.