All residential properties with parking for 10 or more cars must also be 100% EV-ready with conduits in place, as per the proposal. (Image generated using AI)With an aim to address the challenges hindering the adoption of electric vehicle (EV) in cities of Haryana, the state government has proposed an amendment to the Haryana Building Code, 2017, to scale up mandatory charging infrastructure in residential and non-residential premises. Gurgaon and Faridabad, among other cities in the state, lag behind neighbouring Delhi in EV adoption. These two cities will be in focus when the new rule comes into force, said officials.The state’s Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) issued a public notice on Monday, inviting objections and suggestions from stakeholders on the draft amendment within 30 days. The draft substitutes a clause introduced in 2023 where EV charging infrastructure was exempt from Floor Area Ratio (FAR) calculations, and it was mandatory to provide two electric vehicle charging points per 100 equivalent car spaces (ECS) in group housing, commercial, and IT buildings. Even as the proposed amendment maintains the FAR exemption, it significantly increases the required density of charging points based on parking capacity.For non-residential premises such as shopping complexes, malls, hotels, and offices that have parking demarcated for at least 10 cars, the proposed rule requires one EV charging spot for every three parking slots. All new and renovated buildings in this category must also be 100% EV-ready with conduits in place, as per the proposal.Similarly, residential properties, including group housing and societies managed by Residents’ Welfare Associations (RWAs) with parking for 10 or more cars, will now be required to provide one charging spot for every five parking slots. These buildings must also ensure that 100% of the parking space is EV-ready with the necessary conduits installed.Crucially, addressing the friction over safety compliance in basements and stilts has often stalled installations in Gurgaon as previously reported by The Indian Express, the amendment explicitly states that electric charging spots can be provided in basements and stilt floors, provided they adhere to suitable fire safety norms.The Millennium City of Gurgaon has an EV adoption rate of around 6%, trailing Delhi’s 13%. According to data accessed from the Central government’s VAHAN portal earlier this month, there were just 3,670 pure EVs registered in 2025 across Gurgaon’s three Regional Transport Offices (RTOs), compared to 57,169 petrol vehicles.Speaking with The Indian Express, Haryana District Town Planner (Headquarters) Divya Dogra said the amendment aims to incentivise EV adoption. “There was also a lack of clarity of fire approvals for basement and stilts earlier, which we have now explicitly addressed. Pushing renewable energy is the need of the hour. Easier to implement at the stage of chalking out building plans and drawing approvals (for housing), the Fire department would not give clearance if there were EV points at the basement or stilts as there were no safety or regulatory guidelines for it. We have taken the department’s concurrence for this amendment,” she said.Story continues below this adWhen asked if problems and objections by some Gurgaon residents to EV installations had prompted the move, she said, “See, group housing and malls that the amendment mentions are mostly found in NCR cities of Haryana, so yes, Gurgaon and Faridabad are in a way a key focus point of the move. Ultimately, EV adoption is demand-driven and will depend on supporting infrastructure that comes in place.”Manesar Fire Safety Officer Lalit Kumar confirmed to The Indian Express that safety guidelines with regard to the DTCP amendment are being prepared at the headquarters (Panchkula) level, and should be ready in the coming weeks.RWAs in Gurgaon, which have been facing objections by residents ove installation and expansion of infrastructure for electric vehicles, said they would actively send comments to the DTCP. Vijay Shiv Nath, RWA president of Malibu Town, an upscale township inSector 47, housing 10,000 residents, welcomed the move. “Nearly 15% of our 2,000 households have EVs, but we could not install chargers due to concern among residents on some or the other ground regarding safety. Now that we will have to scale up, we hope there is support from local authorities as well.”Sunil Sareen, Deputy Convenor, Dwarka Expressway Gurugram Development Association-GDA and Vice-President of Emaar Imperial Gardens Society at Sector 102 off Dwarka Expressway, said the association is gathering inputs from residents to send to the DTCP. “Most of our (society and Dwarka E-way) residents are in favour of EVs anyways,” he said.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). 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