Realty enterprises should produce sustainable housing projects, develop scientific temper: secy moHUA

By Bricksnwall | 2026-09-09

A top official of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on Friday said that real estate companies should follow a scientific approach while designing housing projects with facilities for green area, rainwater harvesting, water recycling and sewage treatment plant. Real estate enterprises should follow a scientific approach toward development of housing complexes with facilities for green area, rainfall harvesting, water recycling and sewage treatment plant, a top official from Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs said on Friday.

D Thara, Secretary (Department of Capital Development) within the ministry also urged real estate companies to use the Delhi Master Plan 2047. Speaking at a real estate conference organized by industry group Assocham.

She also shared that the first project has been approved under the Delhi’s Land Pooling policy and expressed the hope that additional landowners will come forward to share their land for infrastructure building.

Thara said real estate businesses are building apartments worth ₹100 crore but the roads are flooded, worrying about monsoon floods in Delhi and Gurugram.Why does the road get flooded? “If we put water and wastes from our homes on roads, roads will be flooded and roads will be dirty,” she said.

The secretary accepted the need of improving government infrastructure, but questioned real estate corporations on the scientific basis of their building.

You can’t have buildings and roads, yet live in a city. You need water and water would not be there if there are no green areas,” she said.

Thara urged builders to leave green spaces in their housing complexes and make preparations for water recycling, rain water harvesting and sewage treatment plant (STP).

The secretary noted that RWAs (residents welfare societies) do not have capacities to run sewage treatment facilities (STPs).

She suggested that a separate organization should be formed by the real estate industry to handle STPs with the help of engineering graduates.

The secretary also called on the industry to focus on the use of green construction materials in their projects. All industry bodies should come together to establish research wings to innovate such items.

Somehow we are not having that scientific temperament toward our task. And you are asking government to do everything. Can the Government Do All? “Government is not god,” Thara warned the builders.

“Work on water, building materials, safety and your ecosystem responsibility,” secretary called upon the realty players.

"On Delhi Master Plan 2047, the ministry is open to listen to their problems, if any, and also addressing those," she promised the industry.

Last month, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal introduced the Delhi Master Plan 2047 (MPD-2047) and claimed it will be a milestone in determining the future of the national capital.

The master plan aims at construction of almost 40 lakh additional affordable dwelling units.

Source: Hindustan Times