Ghaziabad: NBCC to draft pre-feasibility report for Tulsi Niketan revamp

GDA’s 1989-90 Tulsi Niketan scheme near Wazirabad Road faces waterlogging damage; NBCC report due in 8 weeks will outline construction and relocation process.

The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has engaged the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) to prepare a pre-feasibility report for the redevelopment of the Tulsi Niketan housing scheme, officials said on Saturday. The report, expected within eight weeks, will outline the construction process for new buildings and the relocation of existing occupants. 

GDA board okayed demolition of old flats in March. Spare land will host new housing projects to help recover costs, with property rights kept intact. (Sakib Ali/HT)

A meeting between the two agencies was held on Friday at the GDA headquarters to discuss details of the redevelopment plan. Developed in 1989-90, the Tulsi Niketan scheme spans 56,639 square metres and is located adjacent to Wazirabad Road near the Delhi border. Officials said the flats have become dilapidated due to repeated waterlogging during monsoons and years of poor maintenance. 

“As part of the redevelopment project, the GDA has asked the NBCC to submit a pre-feasibility report. The report is expected within eight weeks. In the report, the NBCC will chalk out the process as to how the new buildings will be constructed and how the occupants of old flats will be shifted to new premises.We are also expecting the two agencies to sign an MoU for the redevelopment project. The entire process will also be taken up before the GDA board for approvals,” said Rudresh Shukla, media coordinator of GDA. 

On March 18, the GDA board approved Tulsi Niketan’s redevelopment plan, which proposes demolishing the old ground-plus-two-storey flats and replacing them with multi-storey buildings. A portion of spare land in the scheme will also be offered for new group housing development to help recover redevelopment costs. 

The structural deterioration of Tulsi Niketan has been flagged in past studies. A 2009 report by IIT Roorkee found the buildings’ condition had worsened due to lack of maintenance. In 2018, a study by Jamia Millia Islamia recommended dismantling the units, stating their retrofitting and rehabilitation would be costlier than new construction. 

The housing scheme spans 56,639 sqm; only 2.9% of flats have registries. A 2018 Jamia study said dismantling was cheaper than retrofitting deteriorated units. (Sakib Ali/HT)

A recent GDA survey completed in August identified 2,292 residential flats in the scheme. Only 2.9% of occupants have registries, while 2.5% are original allottees. Residents of 50.4% of flats occupy them on the basis of power of attorney, while 13.9% are on rent. Officials have clarified that property rights of residents will not be altered under the redevelopment plan. HT had reported on August 27 that GDA completed the survey. 

Shukla added, “We are also in the process of taking consent from occupants for the redevelopment plan, and a small site office has also been opened at Tulsi Niketan. The occupants can reach out to our officers to get any of their queries resolved.”