Indian Real Estate

Hyderabad, Sept. 10: The two prestigious flyovers starting from Panjagutta and Greelands Junctions which has already been delayed, would be opened for public in March. According to informed sources the completion of the two flyovers that are aimed at easing traffic on one of the busiest arteries of the city was delayed owing to the tackling of large chunks of rock sheets and the shifting of pipeline, cables.

When contacted Mr N. V. S. Reddy, additional commissioner of MCH for traffic and transport, conceded that there were difficulties since they had to handle “a few unexpected problems.” Huge drainage pipes and criss-crossing cables which were laid for various purposes were discovered at the foundation level. As there was a ban on blasting the rocks as they were located beneath multi-storied buildings, the only option left to remove those pipes was to have the rocks chisled. But that meant a huge delay in the construction process. So the engineers resorted to embedding these in the structure itself.

Mr Reddy said another problem with the Panjagutta Flyover is getting the desired shape of piers. It is hard to get the right curves when the radius of pier is 75 metres. “It is perhaps the steepest curve the engineers have ever worked on,” he added. The Rajiv Gandhi Statue-Panjagutta Junctions bridge which is 1235 metres long would lead up to Nagarjuna Circle from where one of its arm will connect it with Banjara Hills road number two and the other one would land to JVR Park. The Greenlands Junction Bridge which is 1,150-metres-long will merge with the existing overbridge and land near the gate of HPS. The total cost of the two bridges is estimated as Rs 53.5 crore.

Hyderabad, Sept. 10: Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (Huda), which had gained notoriety as real estate broker of the State by acquiring lands from poor farmers and auctioning them at sky-high prices, is now on a mission to improve its public image. Huda had stated earlier that it would take up the construction of low-cost townships for the middle income section of society. Now, it has shortlisted at least five sites for the construction of these low-cost townships for middle class.

A formal announcement regarding the inauguration of this project is likely to be made by Chief Minister Dr Y. S. Rajasekhar Reddy on October 2. The process of identifying sites for these townships was delayed for various reasons. Official sources told this correspondent that these sites include lands at Jawaharnagar, Shamshabad, Kollur, Rampalli and Maheshwaram.“The officials have also identified some other sites at Tellapur, Saroornagar and Sahebnagar as a precautionary measure in case of any fresh litigations on the five identified sites,” sources said.

When contacted, Huda secretary P. Venkat Rama Reddy confirmed to this correspondent that they intend to have the project inaugurated by the Chief Minister on October 2. However, he refused to confirm the sites where Huda plans to set up the flats. Sources said Huda is reluctant to reveal the identified sites due to legal problems. “The Huda is on an image building exercise. The top officials of Huda are of the opinion that this project would help to improve the tarnished image which Huda now has among the public owing to land auctioning.” official sources said.

“So, Huda is bent upon grounding this project,” they added. As per the proposal, the low-cost township will have at least 2,000 units (flats). Each unit will be of 800 square feet and priced around Rs six lakhs. This way, Huda wants to construct at least four to five townships at different places in the outskirts of the city for the benefit of middle income group. “Huda plans to sell these flats in low-cost townships at Rs six lakhs each with a provision of installment facility to the allottees,” an official said. “However, the project, if inaugurated on October 2, will take another two years to be completed,” he added.

Notwithstanding the contemplated political uncertainty in the State, real estate developers are busy giving a final shape to their plans for mega residential projects that will further improve the profile of Hyderabad as a hot destination for property investment. These projects, mostly developed by local construction giants like Myhome, Jayabheri, Indu projects and IVRCL, are coming up in 10 to 30 acres of land and will comprise apartment complexes with towers going beyond 20 stories. Prices for these complexes could vary between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 per sq ft. The high price, they say, is because of the multiple facilities — club houses, swimming pools, tennis courts, malls and multiplexes — that are planned as an integral part of the projects. Another common feature that binds these projects together is that they have all been temporarily grounded (for the past four-five months) because of court orders, according to which the municipal authorities have been asked not to give a fire clearance to multi-storied buildings. “We will start the construction the day we get permission. But the issue still remains unsettled which has also caused our project cost to increase abnormally,” laments Dr Rameshwar of Myhome. Myhome is ready with its plans to build 11 towers to house 1,500 flats in 30 acres on the Hitex-Miyapur road while 600 flats in 10 acres of land is Indu Projects’ target which is a part of Indu Fortune Fields near Kukatpally 13th phase. Jayabheri will have 600 apartments in 20 towers spread over 14 acres of land in Gachibowli. According to the grapevine, IVRCL is closing the deal with land owners to create both commercial and residential space in 10 acres just behind Hitec city first phase. “Each tower having a two-floor car parking space and 10 floors will be built at a distance of 90 ft, which is 40 ft more than the required space between the towers. Besides solar fencing, we also plan to instal closed circuit cameras in the balconies to make the place totally secure,” informs Dr Rameshwar. Indu projects which has already sold all the proposed 376 villas at Fortune Fields has readied its plans for the 600-apartments complex in the adjacent 10 acres plot. “Hyderabad’s potential as a property gold mine is increasing because of infrastructure projects like Outer Ring Road. Besides IT professionals, people working in infrastructure building companies, most of which are located in the State have become potential buyers because they can afford it,” Mr Shyamprasad Reddy of Indu Projects points out. The size of each apartment at Fortune Fields will be between 1,800 and 1,830 sq ft. The developers have been projecting the club house built in 25,000 sq ft as an unique feature of the project. “We will also build malls and other entertainment facilities as an added luxury,” he added. Buoyed by the successful marketing of 280 apartments for Rs 3,500 per sq ft at Nanakramguda within just one week, Jayabheri has put up 600 apartments in the proposed complex at Gachibowli for sale for a whopping Rs 4,000 per sq. ft. The company which revolutionised the living culture in apartments with its Silicon Valley, is confident of getting buyers for the proposed project. “The cost of property in prime areas is still affordable in Hyderabad compared to Rs 8,000 per sq ft (market rate) in Bangalore, Rs 11,000 in Chennai and 14,000 plus in Mumbai,” says Maganti Ram Mohan, director Jayabheri.

A LONG and desperate wait for improved infrastructure in Coimbatore seems to be heading for an end if the positive signs from the Coimbatore Corporation are not deceptive.

Roads that should measure up to the reputation of an eminent city, multi-tier parking lots, subways, an additional water scheme to meet the rapid rise in population and flyovers that can reduce the present chaos on the existing thoroughfares - these are some of the developments in store for the city. At last, some positive signs are definitely emerging from the congested Town Hall, where the Corporation's head office is located.

Is the information technology park, coming up in Peelamedu, forcing the image makeover? Or are the city managers tired of poor and worn out facilities? Neither.

The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) of the Union Ministry of Urban Development has come as a boon to Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai Corporations.

Coimbatore has prepared an elaborate City Development Plan (CDP) containing schemes for over Rs. 1,400 crore. It has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Ministry on the plan. The city police too is to get some funds under the scheme for traffic management. So will the Highways Department for improving its roads that criss-cross the city. Even as the Corporation has put itself in the fast forward mode towards implementation of the scheme, public confidence remains low over its ability to bring about changes at the desired pace.

The delay in the implementation of the underground drainage scheme proposed in 1998 and the Pilloor second phase drinking water scheme that was also mooted around that time are cited as instances that contribute to low levels of public optimism over schemes taking off.

These schemes had not taken off for a long time as the Corporation faced funds constraints and councillors had resented huge loans fearing a huge repayment (and interest) burden that could, inevitably, be passed on to the people in the form of high usage charges.

But, with 50 per cent funds to come from the Centre and 20 per cent from the State Government under the JNNURM, the Corporation is confident of implementing all the schemes that are pending for years and also some new ones that seek to elevate the status of the city.

What lends more credibility to the entire scheme is the time frame of implementation. All the projects should be completed in seven years.

The unprinted message from both the Governments is: "We will give most of the money, but you finish the job on time." The Corporation also feels that it can speed up the process and meet the deadline with more experts on hand and that is why it has sought more engineers, right up to the level of a Superintending Engineer to oversee this scheme alone.

If things proceed in the right direction, traffic will flow smooth on the city roads and pedestrians will not impede it but take subways to cross these stretches. Now, there is not even one subway.

Roads in commercial hubs may not be choked with parked vehicles as multi-tier lots for these will be built. Garbage will not turn the city an eyesore as a scheme for Rs. 56 crore will ensure that biodegradable waste is converted into manure.

Waste disposal

And, a separate facility for the disposal of bio-medical waste is already on a trial run.

Even if the IT park brings a huge inflow of people, the new water scheme will not put pressure on the Corporation to look skywards and pray throughout the year for heavy rain to fill up the Siruvani Dam. The scheme aims to relocate all slums encroaching on waterbodies to multi-storeyed tenements planned in the city border.

An area that remains a cause for concern is unbridled construction of multi-storeyed shopping complexes that do not offer parking space.

What the city needs is accident-free roads, uninterrupted water supply, total sanitation through underground sewers and waste management (with total public support) and good maintenance of infrastructure. The JNNURM measures up to these requirements. But, all eyes are on the Corporation now.

Building codes in the U.S., for instance, aim to protect occupants from exterior and interior sound sources. To deal with exterior noise the codes usually require measurement of the exterior acoustic environment in order to determine the performance standard required for exterior building skin design.

The architect and the acoustical scientist can arrive at the best cost effective means of creating a quiet interior (normally 45 dBA). The most important elements of design of the building skin are usually: glazing (glass thickness, double pane design etc.), roof material, caulking standards, chimney baffles, exterior door design, mail slots, attic ventilation ports, etc.

There are two ways in which sound can be generated within buildings. Firstly, airborne sound travels through walls or floor/ceiling assemblies due to either human activities in adjacent living spaces or from mechanical noise within the building systems. Mechanical systems are elevator systems, boilers, refrigeration or air conditioning systems, generators and trash compactors. Walls or ceiling assemblies have to meet certain performance standards to achieve the desired level of quietness.

Secondly, it can arise from transmission through the building itself, like the footfall of occupants. This type of noise is somewhat more difficult to abate, but consideration must be given to isolating the floor assembly above or hanging the lower ceiling on resilient channel.

Water-logging in compounds is increasingly becoming a problem hard to tackle in the urban areas of Kerala. Not only in cities, but also in regions that were slowly getting urbanised, water-logged compounds are creating headaches for house owners every monsoon.

The reasons for increasing levels of water-logging are many. They are not too hard to find, given the topsy-turvy nature of our urban development. "Lack of any proper planning in providing a drainage is the major cause of water-logging," points out the Kochi-based architect G. Jaigopal. Add to this the high ground water table in many parts of the State, especially in the coastal areas like Ernakulam. The city and suburbs have one of the highest water tables in Kerala.

High water table

"In many areas in Kochi, the ground level is often lower than the mean sea level, resulting in a high water table," Mr. Jaigopal points out. In such places, the rainwater does not sink into the ground. Coupled with the groundwater, it becomes almost a lake. The only problem being that the lake is formed right in front of your house.

"In planned towns, each compound is assigned different levels. If your compound is at a certain level, the next plot is given an assigned level lower or higher than yours, according to the slope of the land. The water from all the plots are diverted through sloping drains towards the nearest canal or stream or river or any other water body. But, here, we have absolutely no planning regarding such matters," points out Mr. Jaigopal.

"On the other hand, we compete with each other in rising the level of our own plots than the neighbours," with the result that an entire area gets waterlogged."

He points out that providing proper drainage is the basic way to prevent water-logging. "The issue of water-logging can be handled at two levels," points out Sebastian Jose, Kochi-based architect. In his opinion, draining off all the rainwater that falls on your plot is not quite advisable. "It should be the last resort," he says.

Recharging groundwater

"Most city plots have small surface areas, so the collection of water from direct rainfall is comparatively lesser than the water collected from the roof." Mr. Jose advises making use of the excess water for recharging the groundwater levels. Using sand piles to help the water get absorbed into the ground is one technique for increasing the re-charging. As the soil in Kochi is mostly clay, the absorption of water is also very less. But, using sand can increase the absorption levels. Make a sand pile and direct the water into it. Sand acts as a filter.

In city plots, even underground storage tanks for storing the rainwater could be built, with the house being situated on top of it. However, Mr. Jaigopal points out that using excess water for recharging the soil and water sources is highly difficult in areas with a high water table. "But, there are plenty of options in areas with a low water table."

Proper drainage

Providing a proper drainage is highly important, he points out. There can be different ways of providing drainage. Open drain is one idea. Another is, sub surface drainage. The sub-surface drain will not be visible over the surface, but will collect water through open joints. Maintenance is easier for such drains. Clogging, especially plastic clogging, is another issue causing water-logging. The maximum peak rainfall in an area in one hour should be considered ideally, for designing the drains for that area. However, water will not be absorbed by clay or rock. Hence in areas with clay or rocky sub-surface, groundwater recharging is very difficult.

Unproven method

A theoretical possibility of deep borewell recharging has been evolved, but it is yet to be practically proved, says Mr. Jaigopal. According to this theory, water can be recharged into deep underground through borewells. This water may, in turn, help to increase the water table of an area with rocky sub-surface or with a low water table.

An Edelweiss report on the Indian construction sector released earlier this week estimated that the aggregate order book for the industry was expected to grow by 20 per cent Y-O-Y to Rs.50,000 crore in the current fiscal.

"Backed by the robust growth in order book throughout FY 2006, the construction industry saw a strong Y-O-Y growth in the first quarter of FY07," it said in the report based on a survey conducted among 15 construction companies, including eight rated ones.

Edelweiss estimated that revenues of the sector were likely to grow by 48 per cent this year over the previous year.

Earnings too are set for a whopping 62 per cent growth in the current year, it said.

Maintaining that industry players are now adequately sensitised to volatility in the prices of raw materials, it said increased caution was likely to keep focus on operating margin.

"We see profitability scenario intact to a large extent against such price fluctuations with built-in price-escalation clauses and committed raw material supply agreements with customers," it added.

The infrastructure sector of the construction industry, which exhibited robust growth over the previous three years till FY 06, is also expected to be on the similar strong growth trajectory for another two years, it said. - PTI

Real estate can bloom in Uppal. But, stinking Musi, bad roads and pollution have to be dealt with. And neighbouring Habsiguda gives it a complex too.

Till a few years ago, real estate dealers used to find it hard to get clients buy land in Uppal. Even builders were not very keen on the area. However, things have undergone a sea change of late.

The expansion of IT giant GE, construction of Uppal cricket stadium, spurt in commercial establishments including malls and large number of educational institutions have played a major role in the increase of real estate prices.

The recent signing of MoU between State Government and Raheja group to launch an IT park in Medipally and the presence of top scientific research institutes is further fuelling the real estate prices here.

However realty dealers have a word of caution. While Habsiguda is well developed in terms of infrastructure, developmental activities in Uppal are still in its nascent stage.

Air and ground water pollution, due to heavy vehicular movement and the proximity to a polluted Musi, continues to be a major deterrent in the overall growth of Uppal as a prime destination for developers.

Rate check

At the moment, a square yard in Habsiguda starts from Rs.15,000 and goes up to Rs.30,000 in colonies like Kakatiyanagar which are well connected with the main road. In Uppal, the cost of a square yard is between Rs 7,500 and Rs.15,000 depending on the locality.

A 2-bed room deluxe flat fetches a rent of Rs. 4,000 to Rs.5,000 while a 3-bed room apartment costs in excess of Rs.6,000.

"HUDA's plan to acquire 800 acres of land along the Musi for development under Green City project has been stalled. Also, several colonies here do not have connecting roads to the Uppal main road. If these two problems are solved then there is no looking back for this place," said a local real estate dealer M. A. Raja.

Rent on the up

With GE alone employing about 4,000 employees in its facilities, hunting for a rented apartment has become a big challenge here.

Rentals in Habsiguda and Tarnaka are saturated. While the municipality officials have just managed to complete

underground drainage system in Uppal, internal roads and pollution-free environment are still distant dreams.

Water woes

"Pollution and bad roads here sometimes discourage people from purchasing houses. Hundreds of lorries come from Secunderabad and Hyderabad to Uppal cross roads to go towards Warangal highway. Musi's stench is also a major dampener," said TDP Uppal town president and Uppal Merchants Association President B. Hanumantha Rao.

"By December this year, water problem in Uppal will be solved with the construction of three water holding reservoirs. We are also in the process of laying CC roads in colonies under various State and Central Government projects," said Uppal Municipal Commissioner M.S.S. Somraju.

Builders in the city are a worried lot these days. So much so that they have come together to float a forum and seek amendment to rules that they hold responsible for bringing construction activity to a grinding halt.

For almost six months not a new venture has been taken up and the builders cite certain provisions of GO Ms. 86 for this. With land prices going up and many ruling out individual houses, apartment flats were expected to sell like hot cakes. But the near shutdown of construction activity appears to have affected this too.

The Greater Hyderabad Builders Federation, an umbrella organisation of builders associations from different parts of the city and suburbs has approached Chief Minister Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy and sought certain modifications to the said order. "Since the order issued in March first week, not a single application seeking building permission has been made with authorities concerned," says a representative of the federation.

`Floored'

Only projects that had pre-March permission are being completed and new ones were put on hold due to `impracticable' provisions related to mortgage, FSI in respect of buildings up to 15 metres height and occupancy certificates, they contend.

The argument put forth with regard to mortgage of a floor, whether the project is of three floors or 20 floored, was not feasible for those with fewer floors to build. "It might not matter for bigger apartments, but a developer with plans of say three or five floors is in trouble since even he has to mortgage one entire floor," says K. Venkatesh of Motinagar Builders Association.

The permitted FSI too is contested and described discriminatory in nature. "Projects on more than 1,500 sq.mts get a built-up area of about 45 sq.ft. per sq.yd., while those coming up on less than 1,500 sq.mts are allowed just 15 sq.ft., which is not justified. What can developers of small ventures build with such small built-up area?" argues Mr. Venkatesh.

FSI issues

Apprehensions are that if the permissible FSI is adhered to as per the new provisions, builders will hike the price and then pass the burden to the buyer. A builder does admit the possibility saying, "We cannot absorb the burden and it naturally has to go to the buyer. It could lead to 50 per cent to 100 per cent escalation in prices of apartment flats".

"We represented the matter to the Chief Minister and sought these minor modifications. We are expecting a positive response at the earliest," says Prabhakar Rao, Legal Advisor for the newly formed Federation.

It is not the builders alone who find themselves at crossroads due to new restrictions. Says a builder, "With the option of independent homes almost gone and apartment constructions at a standstill, it is the middle class aspiration to own a dwelling that takes a beating."

If there is one problem which is bothering many residents in Chennai city and suburbs it is the grille offences reported almost every day in locked homes.

While the custodians of law are squarely blaming the victims for being "careless", the public, on the other hand, are annoyed over the callous attitude of the police.

At a time, when flat promoters are vying with each other in marketing their newly-built homes as the best in the market to potential buyers in the metropolis, they are now facing yet another uphill task: How to overcome the menace of grille offenders.

When contacted, civil engineers and architects told The Hindu Property Plus that even before a prospective buyer poses few basic questions such as, do you provide security to the apartments and do you offer any alarm system, which would automatically alert the nearest police station in the event of a crime or other problems, the answer is a straight yes.

Even before such modern day crimes used to be reported, no apartment permitted outsiders to park their vehicles inside the premises.

When such is the scene, it is strongly suspected that without the insider passing on information about the whereabouts of inmates, burglars cannot barge into a specific house and escape with the booty. Well, this is for the police to investigate.

The architects' view point is that new homes should have modern electronic gadgets fitted, with inbuilt software, instantly alerting about any crime or incident that occurs in the home in the absence of the inmates. Instead of relying only on the security personnel, it would be wiser to have gadgets, which inform about any trespasser, a police officer says.

Mumbai-based Micro Technologies (India) Limited, which deals with developing security systems based on embedded technology, offers readymade products such as micro home security system with wireless technology and numerous sensors to protect the users' premises.

Any fire or gas leak in the home, the user is intimated through an SMS, an executive of the company says.

Small or big, every home is beautiful to its owner and hence it has become essential to invest on security aspects also along with the cost of the property.

We must achieve the character and acquire the skills to live much poorer than we do. We must waste less.

— American novelist and essayist Wendell Berry

Environmentalists tell you that a mud house is a meaningful choice. But when you start thinking of one for yourself you find more people who discourage you.

The contractor will say there is no proven technology. The "down-to-earth" architect may say it is not worth the trouble and your neighbour may laugh at you.

Though they are claimed to be cost-effective, people realise that it is easier said than done. The "discourage brigade" may point out at the Yelahanka fiasco where a Government agency attempted to build thousands of houses that were washed away in one rain years ago.

Whom should one believe?

Well, Bangalore is one of the cities which have many mud houses. Chitra Vishwanath, one of the architects who has been doing only mud houses for a good 10 years now, puts the figure at 5,000.

In a city that has 1,500 architects and where the Centre for Sustainable Technologies (CST) of the Indian Institute of Science has made a pioneering effort to evolve sustainable building materials and technologies, few architects embrace them.

There are reasons. Making mud-based bricks (adding only a little quantity of cement) is not easy, points out Mysore-based B.S. Bhooshan, who has built over 200 mud buildings in the State. It requires close monitoring, which cannot come free.

The mud-brick making machine is available with CST on hire, no doubt. But you will have to ensure that the labourers prepare the proper mix of mud, sand and cement (both in terms of quantity and quality). Then, they have to put exactly 9 kg of wet mix and press it manually by forcefully pulling a lever. "The labourer will like to put only 8 kg and make his job easy," points out Mr. Bhooshan.

The required strength cannot be achieved when the labourer fails you. So too when the mix is not properly made. The architect suspects this could have happened in Yelahanka as well.

On their part, architects will have to supervise at almost every stage of construction to ensure quality. They say it is a "thankless job."

"It takes a lot of hard work to understand the material, to design well with it, to train masons and workers on it and that does not come by sitting in an office," says Ms. Chitra. But she says, "The joy of building with mud comes with hard work and it is the process that is as important as the product. This means building and creating dedicated teams not depending on contractors. It is your attitude which lessens the pain."

Saving cost, according to her, is not the idea with a mud house. Savings come from the simplicity of the finish.

Today's walls and roofs take only 40 per cent of the total cost of buildings, Mr. Bhooshan points out. Rest of the money goes into modular kitchen, floors and other accessories. There is little scope for the mud wall and roofs to make a significant difference to the cost of the house.

Though the cost of the bricks (consequent to rise in the price of cement) has gone up, the mud bricks and blocks (used for the foundation) save cost only if they are made on the site using the mud dug up for laying the foundation. If they are secured from elsewhere the cost of transport is added.

Though Ranka Builders attempted to manufacture mud bricks on a large scale a few years ago, it was not successful apparently because of lack of demand. "But you have persons like Yogananda of J.P.Nagar, who offer a package solution to you," suggests N.H. Ravindranath, who heads CST. He says his house was built with a dome-like roof 14 years ago using mud bricks.

Birds love it

Ms. Chitra points out other benefits that go beyond the reach of the mathematician in you. Her house has 32 kinds of birds coming into it. It does without a fan, and recycles water besides harvesting rainwater. The house has a facility (Eco-san) to turn waste into fertilizer.

Mr. Bhooshan points out the futility of building a mud house and installing an energy-monster air conditioner in it.

Durability? "Ask the 500-odd people for whom I have built," says Ms. Chitra. Mr. Bhooshan too says the mud houses are durable.

But he is sad that there are hardly any takers for the alternative technology now. He says the issue has to be seen in the larger context. In the renewed globalisation scenario, where people are encouraged to own more than they need, the mud houses are the victims. Even the house has emerged a commodity to be owned as a showpiece. A German company using robots puts up a pre-fabricated house in 48 hours, he says.

Why not, you may ask. Mr. Bhooshan questions our world vision. "If everyone is to live the lifestyle of an average American, you will need 11 earths to sustain it."

He says everyone cannot have a party on one earth.

Quoting figures from the Ministry of Non-conventional Energy, architect K.R. Ganesh says Indian's per capita coal energy consumption is 482 calories as against the world average of 1671. That of the U.S. is 8,129 followed by Japan (4,070) and the U.K. (3871).

The energy consumed by cement (in the manufacture) is 5.85 mega joules per kg (MJ/kg). The energy consumption of soil-cement block is only 2.6 MJ/kg (if six per cent cement is used) and 3.5 MJ/kg (eight per cent cement), according B.V. Venkatarama Reddy and K.S. Jagadish of CST.

Mr. Ganesh simplifies it all: a regular building using RCC roof and plaster consumes 20 tonnes of coal energy while a mud house of the same size will need only nine tonnes.

Mr. Bhooshan wants the Government to issue guidelines for energy audit of every upcoming building (as is being done in the U.K.) and announce tax sops for energy-efficient buildings.

Berry, it seems, has reasons to warn us: "We must waste less. We must do more for ourselves and each other. It is either that or continue merely to think and talk about changes that we are inviting catastrophe to make."

A regular building using RCC roof and plaster consumes 20 tonnes of coal energy while a mud house of the same size will need only nine tonnes. Centre for Sustainable Technologies (CST) of the IISc has evolved sustainable building materials and technologies and offers technical support to builders. Labourers must prepare the proper mix of mud, sand and cement (both in terms of quantity and quality) to make bricks. Architects will have to supervise at almost every stage of construction to ensure quality. Technologists and architects offer package solutions in Bangalore. House of architect Chitra Vishwanath has no fan, recycles water, harvests rainwater and has a facility to turn waste into fertilizer. Architects want tax sops for energy-efficient buildings.

While taking up construction and ordering for material in the process, do keep an eye on the quality. Sand is a key construction material and it is imperative that the load that is dumped at the construction site is a quality one.

Good sand is one that is clean and coarse and free from either organic or vegetative matter.

Sharp and angular grains are what you should go for. Experts suggest that the sand should be well graded and does not come with silt and clay. It should also be free of salt that attract moisture.

The varieties available include pit sand, river sand and the one brought from seashore.

Pit sand is coarse with normal reddish yellow colour and is usually used in concreting.

Obtained from river beds, the river sand is considered to be fine, consisting of rounded grains and is used for plastering.

The spate of land acquisitions across the country, either for gigantic Special Economic Zones (SEZs) or for other infrastructure projects, is beginning to acquire political overtones. We have already witnessed some protest by the farm lobby over the manner in which Haryana government acquired the initial chunks of land for the 25,000-acre SEZ to be built in collaboration with the Reliance Industries group.

The other day, there was another significant protest led by former prime minister V P Singh at Dadri where some 2,500 acres of land have been acquired by the UP government for a power project.

The simple question being raised by V P Singh is whether in a “free-market economy” the farmers are being given the freedom to sell land on their terms. Even if they give up land for development, what do they get in the long run as stakeholders in development?

These are difficult questions to answer today because as yet there is no well-thought-out policy on large-scale agriculture land acquisition for the purpose of development. For instance, the Punjab government has acquired a full 1,000 acres in Amritsar district to be handed over to real estate company DLF for an SEZ.

Similarly, large chunks of land are being handed over for SEZs and township development in states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and so on. The government has already cleared some 115 SEZs. More applications are likely to be cleared in due course.

The commerce ministry said last week that the overall limit of 155 SEZs, decided by the empowered group on ministers, may also be reviewed, given the massive response from the industry. It will be interesting to see how various state governments politically handle the acquisition of agricultural land, wherever required.

A minister in the UPA government told this writer there is a nagging worry among the top leadership that the farmers’ resentment over massive land acquisition could develop into a big political problem in later years. This would happen simply because big money pumped into such SEZs, which are largely real estate plays, will raise land prices in the initial years.

The farmers from adjoining areas who gave up land at government determined prices will then start calculating their notional losses. This is what happened when the Haryana government acquired land recently at 2001 prices from farmers to develop an SEZ.

CPI (M) member of Parliament, Mr Mohammed Salim, who works closely with West Bengal chief minister also echoed the view that land acquisition from farmers must be done with utmost care. He said the West Bengal government too was grappling with the issue as it tries to facilitate massive townships and SEZ projects.

The Hyderabad Outer Ring Road (ORR) project is generating a lot of heat and dust. Frequent changes in the alignment of the road and alleged irregularities in land acquisition from hundreds of landowners are snowballing into a major controversy. The debate on the issue in the Monsoon Session of the State Legislative Assembly had turned bitter with the members of Opposition and ruling parties trading charges and invectives. The Opposition onslaught continues outside as well. Besides organising protests by ORR-displaced persons, the Opposition sought to corner the government at the Powerpoint presentation made by officials of the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority on September 1.

The Opposition has alleged grave irregularities in the land acquisition and alignment of the ORR ever since May 2004 when the Congress came to power. Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu dubbed the land acquisition as “a bigger scandal than Bofors, which was a mere Rs 60 crore.” He alleged that the ruling party leaders, MLAs, MPs and State and Union ministers acted in concert and forced the distress sale of lands worth Rs 7,500 crores by farmers. The modus operandi adopted by “vested interests” was to get notifications issued for the land acquisition by Huda and later get the lands denotified after “influential persons” purchased them at dirt-cheap rates from the worried farmers. The Opposition also charged the government with effecting changes or deviations in the alignment of ORR only to protect the interests of influential persons either to save their lands from being acquired or to benefit them by taking the alignments closer to their properties so that the market value will soar in the future.

Such beneficiaries include industrialists, real estate developers and film stars. Congress leaders countered the Opposition offensive by claiming that Opposition members are raising a hue and cry because their interests were affected due to acquisition of their lands for ORR. Those who stand to lose their lands for ORR include several Telugu Desam and TRS leaders and legislators. The prestigious 162-km ORR requires 5,500 acres of land from 3,192 agricultural land owners and 6,509 plot and house owners in 81 villages. The government must come out with more transparent policies for land acquisition and a comprehensive compensation, resettlement and rehabilitation package for land and plot losers.

It is a well-accepted fact that elevations at eye levels get more easily noticed. However, giving ceilings the illusion of height always lends character to the area in which they flow. High ceilings have a majestic feel where as low heights create a cosy ambience. Today ceiling decor is being incorporated as a trick to hide beam structures, ducting for air-conditioning and set-in lighting.

The basic utility features in ceilings are lights and fans. Interior architects constantly endeavour to add a touch to glamour to these elements. For eg. Different looking fans, in varied finishes give the ceiling a unique look. Antique looking fans with long suspended rods bring back the magic of yester years. Again a dramatic effect can be added with the suspension of chandeliers.

* Dressing up of ceilings can also be done by leaving them white, with the corner between the wall and the ceiling being given a decorative look.

* A neat, clear cut finish ensures a sharp look. The corner could be adorned with a cornice, which is hugely popular. They could be wooden, pre-fabricated or of readymade PVC. Wood gives an exotic feel and adds grandeur to the room.

* Patterning of the cornice must go with the rest of the decor style. For instance, an ornate decorative filligri pattern on the ceiling, surrounding the fan in an antique finish on a white background gives the ceiling a Greeko-Roman look. Roman patterns are also very popular these days.

* Of late designers have also been experimenting with dome ceilings with glass paintings. Sometimes translucent glass is used and candles are lit below to illuminate the place, through reflection.

* This strategic lighting may show off only a part of your ceiling but it diffuses the light. In foyers or smaller areas artwork can be used.

* In places that have narrow corridors, wave ceiling patterns are used to give the space an unusual look. Lastly, fabric is often blended in with the light fixtures to give the ceiling a touch of warmth

Very few people are aware of the fact that certain properties, especially those owned by the government, are not covered by the Rent Control Act (RCA). This Act was introduced with the aim to protect the rights of middle-class tenants and owners of small houses. Therefore, it cannot be extended to resolve the disputes pertaining to skyscrapers, multi-storied building owners and huge apartments that reap several thousands of rupees. It is not applicable to “able tenants” (residents with sound financial background) who can pay high rents, and tenants of government lands and buildings.

The RCA takes care of the interests of the tenants and the landlord and provides enough authority to the rent controller to control certain buildings under private ownership. But the law has its limitations. This law does not protect the rights of rich landlords and tenants who have to seek recourse to ordinary civil courts for justice if there is any breach of contract or lease. The RCA provides major reliefs on nominal payment of court fee. Whereas under the Transfer of Property Act, which governs the position of leases, the parties seeking justice have to pay court fee in proportion to the value of the justice they ask for.

Rich Buildings Excluded

Buildings that can fetch a rent of more than Rs 3,500 in municipal corporation areas like Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Guntur, Warangal, etc., and the municipal council buildings which fetch more than Rs 2,000 as rent in other municipal areas are excluded from this law. The rent controller or courts constituted to resolve rent control disputes will not hear the tenant from a municipal corporation area, who is paying more than Rs 3,500, and a tenant from a municipal council building, who is paying Rs 2,000. They cannot file rent control petitions in the courts. This has been stated clearly in Section 32 (c).

Government Buildings out of Rent Control

According to Section 32, the Rent Control Act [AP Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 1960] will not apply to State and Central government buildings, buildings within the Cantonment Board limits or any local authority. This Act will not apply to buildings constructed or substantially renovated, either before or after the commencement of the Act of 1960, for a period of 15 years from the date of completion of such construction or substantial renovation.

Substantial Renovation

A building may be said to be substantially renovated if, not less than 75 per cent of it is built in accordance with the criteria prescribed for determining the extent of renovation (Explanation I to Section 32).

Date of completion

The date of completion is crucial to decide the applicability of the Act. The date of completion is considered to be the date of completion as intimated to the concerned authority or of assessment of property tax, whichever is earlier. If the premises has been constructed in stages the date on which the initial building was completed and an intimation thereof was sent to the concerned authority or was assessed to property tax, whichever is earlier, (Explanation II to Section 32) is taken into account).

If you love colours and are open to the idea of having African or Moroccan prints adorning your bed, designer Sabhyasachi Mukherjee’s first ever bed and bath range is what you need to look out for. Kolkata’s couture king, who is known for his love for things vintage has tied up with Bombay Dyeing and is thrilled about his designer home pret line. “When Bombay Dyeing called me to conceptualise for them, I was excited. I wanted to do something substantial in the pret market and reach out to a larger number of people. Designer lines, if properly channelised can reach out even to the bottom of the pyramid, and needn’t be limited to the niche group,” he says.

The nonconformist designer has always believed that well-made things needn’t be exorbitantly priced. He therefore unfurls the world into your bedroom with an eclectic mix of Sanganeri, Keralite, Moroccan, Arabian, Japanese and African prints. To add his own creative touch, the bedsheets have been made to look like bed covers with a crazy mix of pillow covers. A set comprises one bedsheet, with four pillow cases, each with a unique print. “It could either be the 70s polka dots, stripes, Moroccan tiles or Japanese floral motifs,” he informs.

Sabhyasachi realises that no two individuals have the same tastes therefore he gives you the option of choosing combo prints. “The basic idea is to give the consumer a variety that he can relate to,” says Sabhyasachi. So you will have the dots blended with checks, African tribal prints worked into Viennese roses and traditional Malayali prints married to Rajasthani blocks.

What makes these designs stand out is that fact that they give you a break. You will not have one print adorning the sheet from head to toe. There is an interim breather given in between. As regards the themes for the prints, it could be, “Anything from 10 Janpath to a beautiful chair in Kerala to a rug from Rajasthan, a painting from Vienna and wrought iron gates from Japan, bagru and arkaish prints from rural India or Cambodian etching. Whatever it is, it should look funky. It should give you an impression of being expensive but be affordable,” the designer points out. He maintains that all the prints have been created keeping the international standards in mind.

According to him, the consumer has grown up, and no longer wants to be dictated to. He/she want his/her home to be interactive and unique. Predicting the future trends, and the make-up that will paint the face of home designer pret, Sabhyasachi says, “Mix ‘n’ match is the magic word here. Subdued colours married with bright hues on one side, with deep oranges, magenta, indigo, lime greens and purple dotting the other side, is what the palette will look like. Special fabrics are being brought, something with a soft, flattened weave, which gives a luxurious and warm feel to the entire space.”

TODAY, OVER 10 years after their introduction in the region, they are everywhere - in educational institutions, industrial establishments, temples, railway stations, etc, and in a big way at that.

Paver block's journey - as most new products - started from the metros, particularly petrol refuelling stations. The bunks in cities began using the blocks to cover barren ground - this was part of the process where the gas stations underwent a facelift with neon lights, raised canopies, etc.

In a big way

"They were the first ones to use the blocks in a big way a decade ago. Even today they are the industries' biggest clients," says S.K. Rajeshwaran of R.M. Concrete, Erode. From the metro stations, those on highways took the cue, and these in turn led petrol bunks in every nook and corner use the blocks.

Then, a decade ago, the blocks came in only a few designs - mostly hexagonal - and the colour, too, was mostly grey. And, with the market in its nascent stage, there were only very few manufacturers.

In Erode and its neighbouring areas there were only a couple of paver block manufacturers, who were mostly people into hollow-brick manufacturing. This was because it was easier for them to switch over, as the means of production is almost the same - except that the cement-fly ash-sand ratio varies marginally and so does the mould for pressing the blocks.

The extensive use of the blocks in petrol bunks spread to industrial units, particularly export houses in Tirupur that embraced it in a big way. "When knitwear manufacturers in Tirupur turned exporters, visited foreign countries where such blocks are widely used, they took a cue from there. Another reason they used the blocks is that they wanted their units to look good when buyers from abroad visited their factories," says S.C. Chenniappan of Chinaman Pavers, Perundurai. Majority of his clients are Tirupur export houses.

Next to use the blocks were industries and educational institutions. Here, too, the reason was more or less the same, in that, they wanted to beautify their campuses and the blocks only fit in well.

The blocks did not just fit in well; they could also be easily replaced any number of times. This is because the blocks are only laid closely over a bed of lose sand, meaning the blocks can be removed, stored and reused as many times as possible. They are not cemented.

"Remove, re-fix and reuse - these are the greatest advantages the blocks enjoy. Unlike a cement platform they don't develop cracks, can withstand heavy vehicles such as lorries - a reason for prevalence in petrol bunks - and are easy to lay," points out Mr. Rajeshwaran.

Easy to open

"Another advantage," Mr. Chenniappan says, "is that when industries want to lay pipelines, telephone cables or undertake any underground work, the blocks come as the best possible solution on the ground - easy to open and quick to relay."

In the cities, shopping malls and corporate offices and IT parks took care of the paver block manufacturers' business. Even civic bodies embraced the blocks and used them on pedestrian pathways.

In the cities, though, the use was largely recommended by a building consultant or an architect. "The architects, and in particular, landscape artists had a major role in promoting the blocks in cities," says C. Devarajan of URC Constructions, Erode. He had used them extensively in several of his projects.

Apart from the aesthetic appeal and its reusability, the blocks enjoy another plus - they allow rainwater harvesting. "Unlike concrete floors they let rainwater down and the sand bed beneath it takes care of the percolation," says Mr. Devarajan, adding that they do not radiate heat like concrete.

Today, after their extensive use the blocks have reinvented themselves in the hands of manufacturers. They come in different shapes and colours. There are also interlocking pavers, flexi pavers etc.

The latter is unique, in that, it allows grass to grow in between. "This is a big hit now. Narrow strips of grass between blocks appear as though the entire covered area is green. Many people are now going in for it," says Mr. Rajeshwaran.

However, the blocks have not yet entered individual houses. Probably it may be the next market, feels Mr. Devarajan.

KNOW MORE

Used extensively in petrol bunks and export house Don't develop cracks; can withstand heavy vehicles Allow rainwater harvesting

Real estate sensitivity index launched

Real estate rating and research agency Liases Foras has launched the country's first real estate sensitivity index - Ressex. The index, to be updated every quarter, factors price, availability and supply of real estate juxtaposed with demand, to figure out the efficiency quotient of pricing, Pankaj Kapoor, chief executive officer of the company, said in Mumbai. Depending upon the requirement of the market, it would be updated every month.

``Ressex is the numeric representation of potential and variation of the real estate industry. It enables to view the market potentiality in macro to the micro perspective,'' he said.

Claiming that the index would be a ``helpful'' tool for real estate investment, Mr. Kapoor said the impact of price variation, interest rate variation, change in government policies and other factors could be measured through the Ressex.

``It will represent the organised outlook of real estate market, which will be useful for suppliers, consumers, financial institutions, developers and landowners,'' he claimed.

Construction firm to raise FII limit

Construction company Madhucon Projects Limited has decided to increase the limit of investment by Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) to 40 per cent. The company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that the AGM held recently approved the proposal to raise the FII limit to 40 per cent. A borrowing limit of up to Rs 2,000 crore and an investment limit of up to Rs.500 crore were also approved by the shareholders at the meeting, the company said.

Singapore's tallest retail mall

The construction of Singapore's tallest retail mall, Orchard Central, is likely to be completed by the end of 2008, according to a Channel NewsAsia report.

Located near the east end of the Orchard Road, Singapore's key shopping belt, Orchard Central will have 12 levels, including two basements, which are to render some 290,000 square feet (about 27,000 square meters) of retail space.

New brands are expected to open retail outlets in the mall, which will be developed by the Far East Organisation, while the rooftop will become a food centre, the report said.

Rising interest rates are not likely to dampen demand in the housing sector, feels economic think-tank NCAER.

Increasing interest rates are less likely to slow down housing demand and consequently may raise real estate prices further, NCAER said in its Quarterly Review of the Economy released recently. Citing the reason for the rise in prices, the report said, there is a shortage of homes in every segment of society and with rising income and improvement in quality of houses, the prices are bound to rise.

Home loans over one last year have moved quite substantially as there is sharp increase in credit to deposit ratio of commercial banks. The credit to deposit ratio has gone up from 0.62 in 2004-05 to 0.70 in 2005-06. However, it remained unchanged in the first quarter of the current financial year, the review said.

According to industry estimates, home loan disbursement was pegged to grow by 18 per cent to Rs.1,00,000 crore.

However, leading global wealth manager Morgan Stanley has said that there may be a slow down in the high-end real estate, which would eliminate speculators but not the actual users.

India may witness a slowdown in volume but not in prices, it said. Despite decline in the transactions, the prices have not gone down, it said, adding that there would be no depression in near future. Reserve Bank of India had hiked its short-term interest rates by 0.25 per cent in the July 25 quarterly review of monetary policy, which was the second such step in in less than two months. Cost of funds have been on the rise in the last 12 to 15 months and the 0.25 per cent increase will put further pressure, according to an official with LIC Housing Finance. He said the cost of funds has increased by 1 per cent in the last one year and margins are shrinking in every quarter. - PTI

Before you buy a plot

Check whether the seller has a right over the property.

Check whether the layout has been approved by CMDA and the local body. (Copy of approved layout can be obtained from CMDA for a fee.)

Check whether the roads and park area have been handed over to the local body through a gift deed.

Check whether the abutting road of the plot has been maintained by the local body or has been handed over to the local body.

Fed up of the noise from your or neighbour's water pump? Has it destroyed your sleep? If yes, this article is for you.

Some pumps create a huge noise when switched on to ensure 24-hour running water in your taps. The pump is music to your ears when it is new; but it gets noisier as it gets older. "My neighbour starts his motor at 1 a.m. and destroys my sleep," says Ravi of J.P. Nagar, 6th Phase. Manjunath S., another resident of the area, says that the water pump in his house is fixed near the window. "It is very old and when it is switched on, its sounds as though a train is moving."

The cause

Low quality and old bearings, problems in a part in the motor, problems in shaft, improper placement of pumps, low quality motors and exposure to rain are among the reasons for the noise. And there are ways of tackling these problems.

Low quality bearings are the major cause. Because the bearings get worn out fast, the noise from the pumps increases. Wear and tear in the bearings is also caused due to the exposure of the pumps to rain. When water enters the motor, the bearings and other parts get rusted, leading to faster wear-out. The result is unbearable noise. A motor should be given a proper covering and protection from rainwater. The shaft gets heated when the bearings run continuously and this can change the alignment of the shaft. And in some instances the shaft can also gets worn out, resulting in noise. The shaft also gets damaged due to the worn-out bearings.

Impeller is the component which pumps water in the motor and it is supported by a lock nut. If this lock nut is loose, the motor produces sound. Switching it on many times without letting it cool down can lead to the loosening of the lock nut, says Subramani of Rajarajeshwari Engineering Works. He is a technician who repairs motors. And fixing the motors in congested places means there is no space for the sound to escape freely. House owners often fix the water pump under the staircase, which is wrong. Fixing it crossly will also generate nois, says Sharieff, who sells water pumps.

The staircase may create an echo and worsen the situation, says S. Sampathraman, Chairman and Managing Director of DPK Engineers Pvt. Ltd. He feels that a spacious place will solve the problem.. While building a house, people should plan for an open place to keep the pump. A branded company motor, which has ISO certification, is billed to produce less noise when compared to low quality motors. People who buy inferior quality motors to save some money end up suffering.

Solutions

Changing the ball bearings can reduce the noise to a great extent. New quality bearings for 1/2 or 1 HP motors widely used in houses cost Rs. 200.The problems in the shaft can be set right by welding it and adjusting its alignment and all this for another Rs. 200. Glad packing (grease rope) is done to avoid the sound from the shafts. Tightening the lock nut of the impeller can cost you only a few rupees.

Mr. Subramani feels that the water pump should not be switched on when there is single-phase power. It is dangerous and the motor windings will get burnt. Fix the motor in a place where it is not exposed to rain water and do not place motor under the staircase. The water pump should not slant when fixed. Leave a properly covered space of 4'x4' for your motor. Ensure that the motor is not overloaded (using lesser capacity motor or using it non-stop).

Buying water pumps of branded companies is advised. The branded motors are manufactured with "best fit" technology. "Best fit" refers to good inter-connected parts inside the motor. They are durable and less noisy. A branded water pump for 1/2 HP ranges from Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 4,000, only about Rs. 500 more that the low quality motors. A second-hand motor would have at least a few defects. If all these things do not reduce noise, you can opt for a sound-proof cover, depending on the size of the motor. It will cost around Rs. 900 to make a cover for a 1/2 HP or 1 HP water pump. This cover will have an open space (mouth) in the top and the sound can be diverted. This protects the pump from rainwater, says Mr. Subramani.

Opting for centrifugal pumps will be a good choice. It is more durable and its performance is good when compared to other kinds of motors, says Mr. Sharieff. For residential purposes, 1/2 HP motor is enough to pump water to the overhead tank up to the second floor. It can go up to 8 HP for high-rise buildings.

If you are looking for a totally soundless motor, you are in for disappointment. They are yet to be invented. Research has to be done in this regard, says Madhusudan L.G., of Kirloskar and Co. Silent pumps are the need of the hour, he says. One way of achieving it, according to Mr. Sampathraman, is to design a casing around the motors.

Apply grease to bearings once in six months. Protect pump from rain. Go for a casing to reduce sound. Avoid overloading. Use motor only for about 30 to 45 minutes. Use ISI-certified pump.

The building sector is the third largest consumer of energy after manufacturing industry and agriculture. In order to make the building sector socially and ecologically sensitive, we have to incorporate the best practices that result in environment protection, water conservation, energy efficiency, use of recycled products and renewable energy. In short, we have to go green.

Concrete is the material of choice for building modern infrastructure, be it buildings, bridges, tunnels, railways, airports or docks and harbours.

For achieving the "green goal," we may concentrate on three main factors, namely, conserving concrete and building materials, extending life and durability of infrastructure and adopting a holistic approach by maximisation of waste reuse.

Conservation of materials

Carbon dioxide discharge from cement plants deserves attention. For example, in the production of one tonne of cement, nearly one tonne of CO2 gas is discharged into the atmosphere. More than 50 per cent of the discharge is derived from decomposition of the raw material when limestone is changed to CaO in addition to some energy consumption during burning process. The mechanism of discharge is essential for the production of cement.

Aggregates, together with cement and water, are the primary components of the construction industry, but they are not any more freely available.

The use of demolition waste and recycled water and adoption of membrane curing are methods of saving the scarce resources. Recycled water from ready-mixed plants has been satisfactorily used for fresh mixing of water to make concrete.

Our country has huge amounts of disposable coal ash and blast furnace slag and rice husk convertible to admixture RHA. These can be effectively used as cement replacement materials in concrete or for the production of blended cements or as mineral admixtures, thereby conserving the use of clinker and reducing the CO2 emission related to cement production.

Innovative

The next issue is whether large-scale cement replacement is really possible in the construction industry. Successful structural use of high volume fly ash concrete in high rise structures the world over and especially in Canada indicates that this innovative, cheap, and high value fly ash concrete is the best waste material for use by the construction industry.

Urban infrastructure such as bridges and buildings generate environmental loading when they are constructed, served, demolished and disposed of. Emission of CO2 during the construction stage is large mainly due to the consumption of cement and steel.

Life Cycle CO2 emission (LCCO2) is an useful tool to evaluate infrastructure alternative in order to choose a system with low environmental loading during construction. During construction, the energy required for raw materials, processing and transportation is summed up to obtain energy consumption in terms of CO2 discharged into the atmosphere. Quantitative assessment of different counter-measures including utilisation of waste and recycled materials and alternative methods of construction are possible in terms equivalent to LCCO2.

A waste material like coal ash may not meet certain chemical or physical requirements prescribed for standard works but still it can have application where its fine particle size will be an advantage for roller-compacted concrete, concrete pavements, base course in embankments and special applications of controlled low strength slurry. Urban activities have an impact on urban climate. Higher temperature is observed in urban areas. Such temperature shift makes the urban areas more uncomfortable.

Energy consumption for space cooling would increase; in other words, more CO2 is emitted due to locally hotter climate conditions in summer. Passive solar architecture may be an useful alternative to consider.

Durability of infrastructure

Earth's natural resources are conserved if service life is prolonged. Concrete is the material of choice because it is cheap and produced with the simplest of technology. However, concrete should be made durable and a high performance material for the future structures if we want to make it green.

We have to combat corrosion in an effective, environment-friendly way. Concrete mixtures containing highly active pozzolans, high volume fly ash, rice husk ash or silica fume deserve to be considered. These concrete mixtures display dense microstructure free from pores and cracks. When cured well, they are an answer to both corrosion inhibition and sustainable material use.

Holistic approach

Currently, super-plasticisers have become an essential component of concrete. By substantially reducing the amount of water in concrete, they have contributed to the significant reduction in its porosity and consequent increase in strength and durability.

These chemical admixtures have also been responsible for use of other mineral admixtures in high performance concrete. By making possible the use of these mineral admixtures, which are industrial wastes as a partial replacement of cement, these super-plasticizers have contributed to reducing the CO2 emission.

There is no doubt that increased use of supplementary materials such as fly ash is by far the most powerful tool to reduce CO2 emission from production of concrete.

For this, the quantity of fly ash required is available. The technology to use it is known and proven. The investment involved is negligible.

The author is Emeritus Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras and former Dean, Anna University.

Use of demolition waste and recycled water and adoption of membrane curing are methods of saving scarce resources. Disposable coal ash, blast furnace slag and rice husk can be used as cement replacement materials in concrete or for the production of blended cement. Fly ash concrete is the best waste material for use by the construction industry. Super-plasticisers reduce porosity in concrete and consequently increase strength and durability. They reduce the CO2 emission in the atmosphere.

Newer materials that promise to revolutionise construction practices are taking shape in laboratories. "We will soon be using basalt rock and even bacteria to come up with stronger and eco-friendly structures," says Prof. Dr. V. Ramakrishnan of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, U.S.

On new construction material that are in the making:

There are four that could be described as future construction material. Three of these are in laboratory stage and will be available in the coming years. It includes 3D reinforced concrete and reinforcing rods made from basalt, bacterial concrete and geo-polymer concrete. The fourth is fibre-reinforced concrete, which has fibre replacing steel, and is being put to extensive use in U.S. and some other countries.

On use of bacteria in construction: `Bacillus pasteurii' could be the answer to the long quest for a crack-free concrete. This one does not die and provided the right food (medium), fills micro-cracks and makes it impermeable. Our findings have been repeated by others and proved to be quite effective.

On basalt replacing steel: Most structures fail due to steel corrosion. A building can be stronger if you get a material that does not corrode. We took basalt rock, melted it down to make fibre which does the required job. We proved that basalt rods could be used in reinforced concrete. In 15 to 20 years, this will come into practice.

On geopolymers as a substitute for cement: Geopolymer concrete uses fly ash, which is a waste material, and does away with cement. This new concrete is not only environmentally safe but also ensures more strength.

The poetic grace of Ravi Varma's "Shakunthala" and the mystic nature of Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa", which invited you to take a second look at them at art galleries or at your neighbour's house, may well be bought and mounted in your own home without your wallet getting thinner substantially. Wondering how?

Many shops sell the works that are either reprinted or copied by an artist using oil, acrylic paints and water shades over medium such as paper, canvas or board.

Sree Balaji Art Gallery on Bhagwan Mahaveer (Infantry) Road is one of the places where you get reprints and reproductions of the works of Raja Ravi Varma, M.F. Husain and da Vinci.

Parsram Mangharam, a publisher who has the rights to print Ravi Varma's works, supplies the reprints and reproductions of his original works to this gallery.

The rates

Ravi Varma reprints are available for Rs. 750 (1'x1.5') to Rs. 15,000 (for a fairly big one). An M.F. Husain reprint measuring 1'x1.5' costs Rs. 2,800. The same sized reproduction of da Vinci costs Rs. 5,000. Of course, the cost depends on the artist, his reputation and the size.

Lithographic prints of masters' works are available at shops such as Regal Decorative and Picture Frames at Richmond Circle.

Lithographic prints are one of the variants of reprint, which come both in paper and canvas with a striking resemblance to the original works when compared to other types of print. You can get the famous collections of Van Gogh, Alberto Valentini, Claude Monet etc.

The most common sizes in lithographic reprints are 10"x10", 16"x20" and 56"x43". When you can buy a 10"x12" reprint costing Rs. 550, the larger size (56"x43") will cost around Rs. 12,000.

The prices of lithographic reprints are fixed depending on the masterpiece's worth, print quality and the size. The frames are wall mountable.

Mahua-The Art Gallery (Rajmahal Vilas 2nd Stage, Dollars Colony) sells lithographic prints of sizes starting from 12"x12" and getting larger up to 48"x36". The price range is Rs. 5,000 to Rs.50,000. This shop also sells screen reprints of famous artists which are priced less than their lithographic counterparts.

Customer care

The paintings are usually ready-to-hang and will be delivered and fitted according to the specification given. Any defects found after purchase of an art piece will be repaired. Replacement of paintings is assured if there is a major damage.

The frames used for paintings are designer PVC frame, teak wood, rose wood, wax and rubber. The frames can be customised to have the needed look — either as PVC with a wooden finish or Medium Density Fibre. The reprint business is now extended to other paintings too. Many dealers in art in the city sell Indian painting styles such as Mysore, Tanjore and Rajasthani and styles from Italy and the U.S.

Deities and traditional dance postures are depicted in Tanjore paintings. Rajasthani artworks painted in silk fabric are also sold. The price ranges from Rs. 400 to Rs. 75,000 depending on the intricacy involved and size of the painting.

Now, get ready to surprise your neighbours by decorating your walls with some reprints and reproductions of masterworks available in the city.

Satish Arora (name changed), a resident of Bangalore, wanted to buy an apartment which had all the facilities he wanted and was located near Sahakarnagar. He was shown the plan of an upcoming apartment block after visiting it. The real estate agent who helped him introduced him to the builder. The C wing of the block was under completion and two flats were yet to be sold. Arora was told that the northern and southern sides of the apartment had a scenic view. A clubhouse and a swimming pool had been planned on the northern side.

An impressed Mr. Arora quickly struck a deal with the builder after reaching an understanding on the modifications he wanted to be made to the apartment. Mr. Arora paid an advance of Rs. 2 lakh to begin with. He later gave Rs. 7 lakh while entering into the sale agreement and another Rs. 10 lakh as part payment.

A few months later, Mr. Arora was in for a shock. The northern side view of the apartment had been completely blocked by another upcoming apartment that would also block the sunlight and air flow into the building!

Mr. Arora, who consulted the builder, was told that he should have seen the building plan before booking the apartment. He quickly realised that he had been shown the wrong building as apartment C!

Agreement cancelled

The alterations he suggested were not carried out. And a room had no window! Moreover the builder refused to make any further changes vis-à-vis the apartment. Mr. Arora had no alternative but to annul the agreement, after requesting the builder to return the advance payment.

"After making several calls, the builder gave a post-dated cheque after coercing me into agreeing to part with five per cent of the amount being deducted towards cancellation charges and other alterations. Only after this, the balance amount was paid," Mr. Arora bemoans. In the process, he lost a whooping Rs. 3.25 lakh.

Every hardworking professional dreams of having a luxurious life in a state-of-the-art apartment, that promises him/her of a fully equipped clubhouse, a swimming pool to cool tired nerves, a gym to help keep fit, and all the amenities provided under one roof. But before you go ahead and sign the papers, check the facts.

Sold to many

Alok Nath (named changed), a paediatrician, returned to India from the U.S. some time ago. With all his savings, he decided to construct his own residence. He narrowed down his choice to a 50x80 plot in Basaveshwarnagar and bought it.

When Dr. Alok decided to commence the construction, there others claimed that the property was theirs. Sadly, the property had been sold to them also and they too had the relevant documents!

It was a traumatic experience for the doctor who had invested a large percentage of his life savings in the deal. To this day, the doctor has not received the money invested. He continues to fight his case.

Precautions

Such cases are common and occur occasionally, when the consumers are not careful and don't inspect the background of the builder/owner, says K. Subramani, Chairman, Karnataka Bangalore Centre, Builders' Association of India. He opines, "Prospective buyers should associate themselves with reputed builders and should take the help of a legal expert in property matters, to prevent legal battles." The Builders Association of India has approximately 360 members out of which 80-100 builders are located in Bangalore. The rights of the builder members of the association are protected with regard to government laws and regulations.

There are certain precautions that one must take to before finalising a deal of any sort.

While it is advisable to get in touch with a builder of repute, it is important that one must do a thorough research into the background of the builder.

If you are dealing through a real estate broker, be sure of the percentage charged by him.

While visiting the apartment, obtain the sketch of the apartment and other documents. Make clear to the builder the additional facilities you want and the changes you want in the apartment. Know in advance the additional cost.

Yet, if one is cheated, how are the interests of the consumers protected? The consumer forum may be approached for justice, says K. Subramani.

Buyers must ensure that the flat chosen is rightly marked in the plan. Some builders may refuse to make alterations in construction as desired by the buyer. Those who want purchase agreement annulled may lose a hefty amount as cancellation charge. Buyers must also guard against same property being sold to many

NEW DELHI: Gurgaon-based realty firm Vipul Ltd plans to invest about Rs 6,500 crore in next 3-4 years for developing various residential, commercial, hotel and SEZ products across the country.

"We are working on various real estate projects that would be developed in Delhi NCR, Punjab, Kolkata and Nagpur over the next 3-4 years with an estimated investment of about Rs 6,500 crore," company's Managing Director Punit Beriwala told media.

The company has also got the in-principal approval to develop 150 acre SEZ in Gurgaon and the final approval was expected in another two months, Beriwala said.

Besides, the government has allotted 70 acres of land in Nagpur for developing SEZ, he said, adding the investment in two SEZs would be Rs 3,600 crore including the land cost.

The company has floated a separate SPV to develop SEZs, in which real estate venture fund Solitaire Capital, Singapore and US-based Banyan Tree has picked up 48 per cent stake.

On the source of funding Rs 6,500 crore investment, he said, "We will have to take loans of Rs 1,000-1,500 crore for SEZs, but for other projects, investment would be met through internal accruals, advances from customers."

Giving details about other projects, Beriwala said the company would be developing an integrated township spread over 130 acres in Ludhiana, which would include plots, villas, hotel, commercial space and group housing, in association with Solitaire Capital.

In Gurgaon, the company would be constructing 290 high-end villas spread over 50 acres, while in Amritsar, it would be developing hotel-cum-mall in 2.7 lakh sq ft of area

MUMBAI: Godrej Properties, the real-estate arm of Godrej group, is planning to enter Hyderabad. It is in advanced stage of negotiations with Bhagyanagar (earlier known as Bhagyanagar Metals), promoted by Surana group, to take over 12 acres in Hyderabad or form a JV, to develop the property market.

When contacted by ET, a senior Godrej official said they are in talks with various developers including Bhagyanagar. However, Narender Surana, managing director, Bhagyanagar, declined to comment on the development. Bhagyanagar’s Hyderabad property is valued at around Rs 120 crore.

Over the past two years, property prices in Hyderabad and its outskirts have spiralled. The prices, which were hovering around Rs 500 per sq ft few years back, soared from Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 per sq ft. Most of the demand came from IT companies, which preferred the city to any other city in the country.

The failure of Information Technology Park in Bangalore due to infrastructure-related snags has helped the demand soar. Industry officials said Hyderabad is providing the most suitable base for all IT activities. With majors like Microsoft, Oracle, Bann Info, Wipro, DE Shaw, Citicorp, Intergraph, Satyam Computers and Metamor Graphics, among others, entering the city territory, the local property market has seen a lot of takers.

Sources said last week that IT firm Visual Soft has also formed a JV with Bhagyanagar to develop a Rs 375 crore IT park project in Hyderabad. Bhagyanagar, which had restructured its operations earlier this year, along specific business lines and also diversified into real estate development.

As part of this diversification plan, it has embarked on development of properties and has acquired properties in Bangalore and Kolkata. The company is also planning to invest about Rs 300 crore in Hyderabad and focus on commercial projects like malls and residential complexes, Bhagyanagar officials said. The company is also negotiating with various private equity players to mobilise the required fund.

The Andhra Pradesh government is setting up the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in association with Microsoft, Oracle, Satyam Computers and Metamor Graphics.

Further, the state government has also earmarked Rs 1,500 crore for Hitech City in order to provide conducive base to IT companies. According to experts, Hyderabad is offering a clutch of incentives for investments in IT.