A little over a month after the Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed stilt-plus-four (S+4) constructions in Gurgaon’s residential areas, authorities have intensified their crackdown on building norm violations. On Monday, the HC was informed that around 2,000 notices have been issued in the city for illegally repurposed stilt areas, with 500 restoration orders passed against alleged violators.
The real estate market, meanwhile, has witnessed a shift in the nature of enquiries for such plots.
Kulwant Nain, owner of Pinnacle Realtors, said enquiries for builder plots by developers have halved.
“Enquiries from builders have dropped by 50%… bundled with a steep rise in circle rates, it has affected buyer sentiments. Older HSVP sectors (up to Sector 57) are still seeing interest in existing S+4 properties. But in newer sectors, S+3 is now being more favoured, which means the rates for individual floors will go up,” Nain explained.
Abhishek Bhardwaj, founder of Kalpvriksha Realty, said there has been a freeze on enquiries for S+4 across the city, and agreed with Nain’s point about an increase in S+3 prices.
“At older HSVP sectors, where the issue is somewhat less acute, enquiries are still coming in; otherwise, there is a freeze in activity. Buyers are present, but limited inventory is making a difference. Enquiries for builder floors have declined, and in the current scenario, owners of S+4 plots with approved maps and floor area ratios are sitting on a goldmine.”
Bhawani Shankar Tripathi, a resident of Sector 23A (an open HSVP sector), said notices have not been issued in their area yet so far.
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Under existing building norms, stilt areas are mandated primarily for parking to alleviate street congestion. However, these spaces are frequently enclosed illegally by builders or property owners to create additional living or commercial quarters.
The High Court has been hearing petitions challenging the S+4 policy, which permitted the construction of a fourth floor on residential plots, raising the earlier cap of stilt plus three floors.
During previous hearings, the Bench heavily criticised the state government, observing that it had apparently prioritised revenue generation over public safety.
The court pointed out that the state bypassed the crucial step of conducting an “infrastructure capacity audit” before rolling out the policy, ignoring Gurgaon’s desperate shortage of infrastructural requirements, including adequate sanitation, sewerage, and waste disposal systems.
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The Haryana government is now preparing to challenge the HC order. In the interim, an anti-encroachment and demolition drive by the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) across multiple sectors in Gurgaon has been put on hold.
The HSVP had on April 24 announced a large-scale demolition drive scheduled from April 27 to July 1, targeting alleged encroachments in sectors 27, 43, 31, 32A, 24, 25A and 30.
Abhimanyu Hazarika is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Gurgaon. He covers southern Haryana.
Education
- Post-Graduate Diploma in Print Media, Asian College of Journalism (Class of 2020)
- B.A. (Hons) Liberal Arts with a major in Political Science, Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts (Class of 2019)
Professional Experience
Before joining The Indian Express, he worked with Bar & Bench (legal journalism) and Frontline magazine, where he developed experience in court reporting, legal analysis, and long-form investigative features.
Reporting Interests
His work centres on civic accountability, environmental policy, urban infrastructure and culture, crime and law enforcement, and their intersections with politics and governance in and around Gurgaon.
Recent Coverage (2025)
- Crime: Reported on the recovery of 350 kg of explosives and an AK-47 from a rented house in Faridabad, linked to the 2025 Red Fort car explosion case (November 11, 2025).
- Environmental policy: Covered protests outside a Haryana minister’s residence against a Supreme Court order that environmentalists argue could allow mining and real estate development on large parts of the Aravalli hills (December 21, 2025).
- Pollution control measures: Co-authored coverage of the Rekha Gupta government’s enforcement of vehicle restrictions at Delhi-NCR borders (December 21, 2025).
- Road safety and infrastructure: Examined response lapses in the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway hit-and-run case and ongoing investigations into high-speed road crimes in Gurugram.
- Animal welfare policy: Reported on concerns regarding the low budget allocated for stray dog sterilization by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (November 30, 2025).
- Urban culture: Featured the social media-driven popularity of a new Magnolia Bakery outlet in Gurugram (December 15, 2025).
Contact
X (Twitter): @AB_Hazardous ... Read More
