NOIDA: The Noida Authority will soon empanel private technical firms to conduct structural audits for both new and old buildings, in accordance with the structural audit policy. Currently, the authority has empanelled seven govt institutions, including IIT and NIT. However, the authority now wants to expand its ambit.
Recently, the Authority obtained permission from its chairman, Manoj Kumar Singh, who is also the commissioner of UP industrial development authority.
Noida Authority CEO Lokesh M told TOI, “There are some very good professional companies which are experts in this field. The aim is to ensure that the structural audit is done properly and in the shortest possible time so that homebuyers do not face any issues in the future. The names of these companies will be tabled before the Authority’s board for approval.”
According to officials, with government institutes, which are engaged in academic work, getting the report on time can sometimes be a major issue.
The seven empanelled institutes are IIT Kanpur, Aligarh Muslim University, BITS Pilani, Delhi Technical University, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology in Allahabad, Malaviya National Institute of Technology in Jaipur, and the Central Building Research Institute in Roorkee.
The Authority’s structural audit policy has been in effect since April 1, 2023. According to this policy, a prior structural audit by an empanelled agency is now mandatory for obtaining an occupancy certificate (OC). If the towers and society are deemed safe from all angles, the developer will receive a partial or full OC.
The Authority has recently granted occupancy for towers in four projects, including Park Laureate, County 107, a Godrej project, and a few towers in Jaypee Wishtown, based on the norms of this new structural policy.
For existing buildings, officials said that if at least 25% of the occupants of a building demand an audit, they can approach the Authority. Subsequently, a committee formed at the DGM level – with officials from water, health, and civil departments – will inspect the society.
If this committee determines that there is a need for a structural audit due to major defects in the society, only then will they give approval to the AOA or builder for further processing. Once approved, the applicant can get the structural audit done by one of the selected panels of the Authority.
