Know these new rules for house construction in TVPM

Thiruvananthapuram: The Thiruvananthapuram Corporation has issued strict regulations regarding the construction of houses within the city limits. Paving the front or the back yards of the house with interlocking bricks, tiles or concrete blocks, which prevent the rain water from seeping into the earth, have been banned.

However, there is no restriction to pave interlocking bricks or tiles which allow the water to seep through. The council has approved these instructions, which will be strictly implemented after the government nod.

Tanks to harvest rainwater should be strictly installed in houses which are larger than 50 square meters, built on plots that are more than 3 cents in area. Meanwhile, buildings which have lesser area should have rain pits. The occupancy certificates for the houses that have an area of more than 60 square meters would be issued only if proper arrangements for waste disposal are made. The position of the waste disposal facility should be marked in the plan that is submitted along with the application for procuring the permit. The occupancy certificate for the constructed house would be issued only after the concerned officials have conducted inspections.

The pictures of the foundation should be submitted after its construction, so that faulty constructions could be rectified at an early stage itself. The application, seeking permit to continue the construction could be submitted only after that. The officials would do a site-inspection to find out any discrepancies. If no discrepancies or faults are found, the permit would be issued within 14 days.

The Corporation has issued strict directives to keep a check on the number of illegal constructions that have been skyrocketing in the city. Besides, it was also revealed that officials and incumbents often demand bribes to illegally regulate the numbers of such buildings. The instructions were prepared by the permanent council for town planning.