Hyderabad realtors dismiss fire hazards to high-rise apartments

Hyderabad: The Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI) in association with National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO), Telangana Builders Federation (TBF), and Telangana Developers Association (TDA) highlighted the importance of the high-rise apartments in facilitating the growth and fuelling the rising housing demand in the city.

The developers from the city dismissed the recent reports about risks associated with high-rise buildings. The incorporation of high-rise apartments in the city helps in creating housing and providing modern amenities in residential complexes in line with global cities. All necessary safety protocols are maintained as per the specifications of the government.

P Ramakrishna Rao, President CREDAI Hyderabad said, “Hyderabad is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. The average built area per acre is 2-2.5 and 3-3.5 as per the building norms, and no permission can be given for more built area. The construction activity received a major boost after the formation of Telangana and the proactive industry-friendly policies adopted by the government.”

Murli Krishna Reddy, President CREDAI Telangana said, “TS-bPASS is a pioneering and revolutionary reform introduced by Telangana State, doing away with endless wait and bureaucratic hurdles in obtaining building permissions, making approval more user-friendly by providing a streamlined online system for hassle-free, time-bound speedy approvals.”

Sunil Chandra Reddy, President of NAREDCO, Telangana said, “To help the city grow and accommodate the rapidly growing population, GO 86 was introduced in 2006 and minor amendments were made in 2012 to suit the requirements of the growing city. Occupancy certificate and a NOC are given after stipulated process followed by the fire safety department is issued.”

G V Rao, President of TDA said, “Over five lakh people come to the city every year. To accommodate all of them we need high-rise buildings otherwise the land rates will sky-rocket and will become unaffordable with per sft rates going up to Rs 15,000-20,000. The GRID policy is spreading the development to other corridors beside the West which already has a high density of development.”

C Prabhakar Rao, President of TBF says, “The builders had approached the earlier governments to allow the unlimited FSI for constructing high-rise buildings to help keep pace with the growing population and the housing needs. As a result, the government released the GO 86, in 2006 and the same is in force with minor amendments. This has helped the city keep pace with the growing requirement for housing.”

Rajashekar Reddy, Secretary CREDAI Hyderabad said, “In Hyderabad, there is an increased demand for luxury apartments that is reflected in the registration numbers for the month of February where the contribution to the registrations for apartments in Rs 1 crore+ segment increased from 8 per cent to 10 per cent YoY, while the affordable segment contribution remained at 18 per cent.”

He adds, “Fire systems of all high-rise buildings have to be inspected by a third-party auditor and the data to be uploaded with the Fire dept for proper maintenance of systems. Therefore, the fears about fire safety hazards to high-rise apartments are exaggerated, as the authorities and builders are taking adequate measures to make the buildings safe for the inhabitants.”

Vijay Sai Meka, Secretary General, NAREDCO, Telangana said: “The recent innovative proposals by the fire department like usage of drones to control the spread of fire in case of fire accidents and the use of robots for pouring water will help to minimize the damage during fire accidents and keep the occupants safe, will go a long way in making the buildings safer in Hyderabad.”