Ghaziabad: UP govt on Feb 10 notified the Urban Redevelopment Policy, 2026, setting out, for the first time, a comprehensive framework to redevelop unsafe and dilapidated buildings that have contributed to “urban decay” and posed risks to residents across the state.Under the policy, both public and private housing projects that are at least 25 years old and span 1,500 square metres can be taken up for redevelopment, after a mandatory structural audit. Defunct industrial units that have remained shut for three years or more and have been declared sick by the National Company Law Tribunal, with no pending legal disputes, are also eligible.Govt agencies will be the primary implementing authorities, though projects may be executed under the public-private partnership (PPP) model where required. Officials said the policy addresses a long-standing regulatory vacuum that had stalled redevelopment efforts across cities.“In the absence of clear-cut guidelines for redeveloping dilapidated buildings, development authorities, private developers and apartment owners’ associations were often unsure of the process, leading to prolonged delays. These delays not only endanger lives but also run counter to sustainable urban development,” a senior GDA official said.The policy also seeks to respond to land scarcity and the growing demand for housing. By encouraging vertical redevelopment, officials believe underutilised land can be unlocked for additional residential units, including affordable housing. “Most ageing housing stock occupies large parcels of land. Redevelopment will allow more efficient use of space while adding much-needed affordable homes,” the official added.For private redevelopment projects, AOAs will be permitted to proceed only after obtaining the consent of at least two-thirds of residents. Construction timelines have been capped at three years, with a possible extension of up to two years in special circumstances.To incentivise participation, the policy offers a 50% rebate on development charges and a 25% rebate on land conversion charges. Developers will also be granted one additional floor area ratio (FAR) over and above the base FAR, free of cost. Additional FAR will allow them to add more floors or flats to recover redevelopment costs.The policy states the statutory formalities are to be completed within 60 days. Subsequently, residents of buildings identified for redevelopment will have to vacate the premises and construction must begin within 12 months of vacation. The executing agency has been made responsible for arranging transit accommodation, including paying rent, until residents are handed back their flats after redevelopment.The policy mandates that at least 10% of the redeveloped units be earmarked for economically weaker section (EWS) and lower-income group (LIG) housing. It, however, allows developers to pay a shelter fee in lieu of exemption. Declared monuments and heritage structures have been excluded from the policy’s ambit, as have buildings constructed on single-use plots.The urgency of such a policy is most evident in cities like Ghaziabad, which, according to a recent survey, has 150 buildings classified as “dangerous” and has witnessed multiple fatalities from collapses of ageing structures, even as redevelopment efforts continue to face persistent hurdles.Ghaziabad Development Authority has repeatedly faced resistance while attempting to redevelop older residential colonies, like Tulsi Niketan and Vaishali Apartment Scheme. Around 2,300 flats in Tulsi Niketan, built nearly four decades ago, were declared unfit for habitation in 2018 but residents opposed redevelopment without written assurances that they will be allotted new flats over the year. Their concerns were mostly rooted in ownership issues as nearly 90% of the residents in the colony hold their homes through power of attorney, while the Authority recognises ownership only when names appear on registered sale deeds. In Dec 2025, the NBCC was finally tasked with overseeing the colony’s redevelopment.In 2018, three 10-storey towers in Vaishali Apartment Scheme were declared unsafe and over 150 living in them told to vacate at the earliest. The redevelopment of the buildings, however, is still pending.Officials said that the new policy is expected to provide clarity, speed up stalled projects and reduce disputes, though its success will ultimately depend on implementation and the confidence it inspires among residents wary of past delays and broken assurances.
