Real estate companies should adopt a scientific approach towards developing housing projects with provisions for green area, rainwater harvesting, water recycling and sewage treatment plant, a top official from Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs said.

Addressing a real estate conference organised by industry body Assocham, D Thara, Secretary (Department of Capital Development) under the ministry, also asked real estate companies to take advantage of Delhi Master Plan 2047.

She also informed that the first project has been approved under the Delhi’s Land Pooling policy and hoped that more land owners will come forward to share their land for infrastructure creation.

Expressing concern over the flooding in Delhi and Gurugram during monsoon, Thara noted that real estate companies are building Rs 100 crore apartments but roads are flooded.

“Why does road get flooded? If we put water and wastes from our homes on roads, then roads will be flooded and roads will be dirty,” she observed.

The secretary acknowledged the need to improve government infrastructure, but asked real estate companies the scientific basis of their construction.

“You cannot have buildings and roads and live in a city. You need water and water will not be there if there are no green areas,” she said.

Thara asked builders to leave green areas in the housing projects and also have provisions for water recycling, rainwater harvesting and sewage treatment plant (STP).