BMC proposes: Opt for eco-housing, property tax rebates will follow

SHWETA DESAI
Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Mumbai, September 18
If your building violates no building rules, if you harvest and store rain water, set your building drains to integrate seamlessly with civic master plan, if you’ve installed CFL lamps and if you segregate garbage, you stand to earn 500 eco-housing points, which translate into a property tax rebate of 10 per cent starting next year.

For, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is finally ready with its plan to incentivise eco-friendly construction to achieve the goal of sustainable development. So, in a proposal to be studied by the civic Standing Committee on Friday, tax rebates up to 50 per cent are up for grabs.

Taking a cue from the Pune Municipal Corporation, the BMC had last year appointed the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the International Institute for Energy Conservation (IIEC) and Science and Technology Park, Pune to formulate the technical criteria and a plan for implementing an eco-housing programme. According to the proposal, eco-housing will be applicable to all residential buildings, complexes, single family residences and for new construction as well as retrofitting in existing buildings. And among the top criteria will be site planning, environmental architecture, energy conservation, energy-efficient building materials, water conservation and solid waste management.

Dr Rajendra Jagdale, director general of the Science and Technology Park, said the eco-housing programme would play a crucial role in Mumbai, where the construction boom threatens to spiral out of control. “The construction industry is also looking for innovative ideas to attract consumers. Many eco-housing projects have begun in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. I’m sure even Mumbai will see a positive response,” he said.

Under the proposal, buildings adopting eco-friendly measures will be awarded points based on the impact and relevance of the measures. For societies or buildings earning between 500 and 1,000 points, tax rebates and concessions on development charges will range between 10-50 per cent, subject to a final approval from the state government.

However, to avoid misuse, developers will be able to claim the rebate only if all eco-housing norms remain implemented on the site one year after project completion. A technical wing will also conduct random checks. The certification by the technical wing, which will come at a small cost, will be valid for five years.

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