Real Estate Developers Urged to Work Closely With Municipal Bodies on Urban Infrastructure

• Developers have been urged to assess how projects affect surrounding urban areas.
• Water recycling, rainwater harvesting and sewage treatment should receive greater attention.
• Industry leaders have called for faster, integrated approvals through a genuine single-window system.

New Delhi: Real estate developers need to work more closely with municipal authorities while planning and executing residential and commercial projects, a senior housing ministry official said at a recent real estate conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The call comes amid rapid urban development and growing pressure on cities’ water, sewage, transport and other infrastructure systems.

D Thara, Secretary in the Department of Capital Development under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, said developers should evaluate the impact of a project beyond its physical boundaries. The issue matters because large developments can increase demand for water, sewage networks, energy and civic infrastructure in surrounding areas, making coordination between developers and municipal agencies increasingly important.

Thara highlighted the need for developers to incorporate facilities such as rainwater harvesting, water recycling and sewage treatment into their projects. She said urban development should move towards a stronger public-private partnership model in which developers and civic authorities jointly consider the infrastructure requirements created by new projects.

The wider impact of construction, including water consumption, sewage generation, energy use and the additional infrastructure required to support residents and businesses, should also be considered during project planning.

According to statements from the conference, Thara said there is currently limited dialogue between municipal officials and real estate companies. She called for closer coordination so that the infrastructure needs created by private developments can be addressed as part of broader city planning.

She also suggested that the real estate sector should adopt a wider understanding of project value. Instead of looking only at property prices and construction, developers should also account for infrastructure requirements, resource consumption and environmental considerations.

Real estate industry representatives also highlighted the need to improve the approval process for development projects. Sriram Khattar, co-chairman of the CII National Committee on Real Estate & Housing and Vice Chairman and Managing Director of DLF Rental Business, said the role of real estate has expanded beyond constructing buildings.

He said modern developments increasingly need to create communities that support living, working, shopping, recreation and social interaction while also improving the overall quality of urban life.

Harshvardhan Bansal, Chairman of CII Delhi State and Co-founder of Unity Group, called for a more effective single-window approval mechanism. He said applications should be processed simultaneously by different authorities rather than requiring developers to approach multiple departments separately.

The discussion highlights the need for stronger coordination between real estate companies and municipal agencies as Indian cities continue to expand. Greater integration of civic infrastructure into project planning, along with streamlined approvals, could become an important part of future urban development.

For developers, the focus is increasingly shifting from constructing individual projects to understanding how those projects connect with and affect the wider city infrastructure.

Also Read: NGT Questions GDA Over Colony Built on Ghaziabad Park Land

Also Read: Noida Sector 105 Residents Face Fresh Labour Cess Notices for Older Homes