Repairs such as plastering, painting, flooring, roof replacement and alterations to doors and windows will not require prior building plan approval, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has clarified in a public notice listing works exempt from permission under the Unified Building Bye-Laws for Delhi, 2016 (UBBL-2016).
He also announced plans for an awareness campaign to ensure residents were not inconvenienced or confused by compliance requirements. However, the exemptions come with conditions. Works must comply with applicable structural stability and fire safety requirements and cannot encroach on public land or obstruct fire tender movement. Heritage buildings remain subject to heritage conservation permissions wherever required.
The notice, issued on October 22 also exempts specified public utility structures, including public toilets, traffic and police control rooms, air purification systems, vertical gardens, dhalaos and solar panels, from building permits, subject to prescribed conditions. Under the notice, qualifying public utility structures measuring up to 25 square metres and executed or promoted by government agencies for public safety, health, pollution control, transport, water supply, sewage disposal and solid waste management do not require building permits.
Dwivedi said the civic body would distinguish structural additions and alterations from routine maintenance and non-structural renovation, clarifying which works were exempt and which required prior approval.
