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Maharashtra has introduced new conditions for old buildings seeking new water, drainage and similar utility connections. Applicants will have to submit construction permits and valid structural stability certificates, while buildings will also need to provide for rainwater harvesting and solid waste or bio-sludge management systems. An engineer will examine the structural certificate, while a feasibility report will assess available space and any possible risk to the building or neighbouring structures. The procedure will apply across municipal corporations, municipalities and nagar panchayats and will operate within the state's existing development and planning regulations.
Old buildings in Maharashtra seeking new water, drainage or similar utility connections will now have to meet additional structural and environmental requirements. Under a new government resolution, such buildings will need to submit valid construction permits and structural stability certificates, along with provisions for rainwater harvesting and solid waste or bio-sludge management.
The directive has been issued by the Urban Development Department and applies to existing buildings across municipal corporations, municipalities and nagar panchayats in Maharashtra. The new procedure is intended to bring a uniform system for granting new utility connections to older buildings while ensuring that basic safety and environmental requirements are met.
Under the new rules, applicants will have to submit the building's construction permit and a valid structural stability certificate. The certificate will be examined by an engineer before the utility connection is approved.
A feasibility report will also be required as part of the process. It will have to assess whether the building has adequate space for installing rainwater harvesting and solid waste or bio-sludge management facilities. The report will also have to determine whether installing these systems could create any risk to the building itself or neighbouring structures.
The requirements will apply when old buildings seek new water connections, drainage connections and other similar utility services. Municipal corporations, municipalities and nagar panchayats will be required to process such permissions where the prescribed conditions are fulfilled.
The approvals will also remain subject to the applicable provisions of the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations and the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act. This means that meeting the new structural and environmental requirements will form part of the wider regulatory compliance process for older buildings.
The government's move also places greater emphasis on checking the physical condition of older structures before allowing additional or new utility infrastructure. A structural stability certificate is particularly relevant where new installations or alterations could affect the building or surrounding properties.
Rainwater harvesting itself is not a new requirement in Maharashtra. Existing municipal guidance in Mumbai, for instance, specifies that rainwater-harvesting structures should be located and designed in a manner that does not endanger the stability of the building or surrounding earthwork. The guidelines also require systems to be designed so that they do not cause dampness to the building's walls or foundations or those of adjoining structures.
The new resolution therefore links these environmental provisions with the process of granting utility connections to existing buildings. Instead of treating rainwater harvesting and waste-management arrangements separately, authorities will have to consider their feasibility and safety as part of the approval process.
The government has positioned the procedure as part of its broader ease-of-doing-business and ease-of-living reforms. The objective is to establish a consistent process across different types of urban local bodies rather than having separate procedures for old buildings seeking essential utility services.
For building owners and societies, the requirement means that documentation and the physical feasibility of installing the prescribed systems will need to be considered before applying for new connections. For local authorities, the resolution places responsibility on municipal bodies to verify the structural and environmental conditions before granting the required permissions.
Source PTI
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