The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has given the green signal to almost 300 queued-up housing projects in the city to recommence construction after safety checks by a high-powered committee formed after the Taratala godown tragedy. The move should bring some respite to the developers, whose projects were kept on hold under the construction ban order, which was issued to assess the safety of under-construction high-rises in West Bengal.
The projects were considered by the high-powered committee from safety, audit, reports, and undertakings submitted by the concerned real estate promoters. A KMC buildings department source said the civic body had provided the committee with the details of 300 housing projects in Kolkata in September, 2026.
Among them, 178 projects passed the safety audit as per the directives. The rest of the projects were issued notices to fix the safety violations and ensure compliance with construction standards. As per the audit's report, KMC has prepared a list of measures for the state government at Nabanna.
A civic body official said that construction activities would continue under close monitoring to ensure that developers follow the prescribed safety requirements. Projects with serious violations remain subject to restrictions until the identified issues are addressed
KMC Relaxes Construction Restrictions for Buildings Up to Five Storeys.
KMC in July 2026 issued a clarification notice permitting construction, repair, and maintenance work in buildings of a height of up to 5 (G+4) with valid sanctioned building plans. This notice was issued after residents complained that they were unable to carry out construction, renovation, or repair work despite their buildings not falling within the scope of the standstill work order.
But property owners who wish to return to work under this category will have to submit an application with the municipal commissioner's office. The rule came into effect to differentiate between low-rise structures and high-rise developments that had to be put through extensive safety audits.
The civic body also allowed for some preparatory works to proceed on long duration high-rise projects, for which excavation and foundation work had already started. Such works include sheet piling, retaining wall construction, dewatering, and stabilisation, and bracing system installation.
Solutions about work on pile caps for both deep and shallow foundations were same here authorized, provided that certain measures were applied. These measures aimed to remove the risk of soil movements, movement failures due to excavation and to avoid any damage to neighbouring properties while a construction hold was in place.
Nearly 300 Kolkata Projects Among 706 Audited Across West Bengal.
This safety audit process was conducted on 706 high-rise projects in 18 municipal bodies in West Bengal where work has been discontinued. Kolkata alone had around 300 such projects accounting for one of the largest metros covered by the state-level review.
Sushil Mohta, president of CREDAI West Bengal, revealed that all the 300 projects in Kolkata had resumed work barring a few where substantial violations were found.
The order is a move towards restarting projects that came to a halt while keeping a watch on safety at construction sites. The relaxations will probably allow developers to restart work that was put on hold and minimise delays caused by the halt order. This could also benefit homebuyers who are waiting to take possession.
Yet, ongoing vigilance and adherence to safety advice will be necessary to see these developments through. The state government strategy includes the re-commencement of select housing projects alongside increased oversight of construction activities, in particular excavation, foundations, and high-rise buildings.
