MA&UD amends rules, allows pools on rooftop

HYDERABAD: The Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) department has amended its rules based on the suggestions by town planners and requests from builders and developers’ association.

The new rules state that builders and developers can henceforth construct a swimming pool on the roof of the buildings, provided the buildings comply with all structural stability norms and fire safety provisions.

Similarly, ventilation rooms would also be allowed as per the Indian Green Building Council Green Homes norms. The amendments were made after developers associations said that some rules are not in consonance with the National Building Code, 2016.

“Some major project developers have been asking the government to relax the rules and allow swimming pools on the terrace which are being allowed in many states. Now the government has decided to allow them,” a senior town planning official of the GHMC said.

The GO (No 50) issued by the MA&UD department principal secretary Arvind Kumar on Tuesday made it clear that an Occupancy Certificate (OC) is mandatory for using water and electricity from the respective agencies and the MA&UD department allowed agencies like the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board and Southern Power Distribution Company Limited to receive and process the applications for giving connections.

However, the actual connection would be given only after the production of OC is provided to the municipal authorities after the building construction is complete. The order also stated that BT and CC roads are mandatory for issuing an OC for buildings.

As of now agencies dealing with electricity, water supply, drainage and sewerage shall not give regular connections unless the OC is produced, or alternatively, may charge three times the tariff until it is produced. This condition would also be applicable to all unauthorised constructions and buildings constructed without sanctioned building plan. The local body can also collect twice the property tax as a penalty.