To solve the issue of shortage of parking space in Delhi’s residential colonies, in 2007, the Delhi government made it mandatory for new constructions on plots smaller than 1,000 sq yards to be built on stilts. The idea was to provide parking space for all occupants of the premises on the ground floor.

Many of the new apartments that have come up for sale in the last six months in areas like West End, Vasant Vihar, Panchsheel and Greater Kailash — that sell for as much as Rs 30,000 per sq ft — are built on stilts, with the entire ground floor standing at a height of 8 feet.

“Fights for parking space and road rage will hopefully come to an end,” says Manish Uppal of Uppal Constructions, which has built over 20 such residential apartments in areas like Vasant Vihar and Panchsheel last year.

According to the law, for every 100 sq m of sanctioned FAR (Floor Area Ratio), one has to provide parking for one car. For example, on a plot of 600 sq yards if there is 12,000 ft of sanctioned covered space, one requires 12 car parks.

According to architects, apartments on stilts are perfectly safe. There are some currently under construction on Hanuman Road as well, and across Delhi, except Lutyen’s zone where it’s not allowed.

Aesthetically, it is questionable how this will turn out, but most architects and builders agree that addressing the city’s parking woes is of primary importance. “Earlier, clients were hesitant about apartments with stilts because it ends up looking like a society rather than a bungalow,” says Shammi Thapar of Thapar Homes Limited, which has redeveloped 15 plots in South Delhi on stilts over the last one year.

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