How to know the flat you are buying is not on encroached land, lake or riverbed

financialexpress.com:

In the excitement of homebuying, buyers often fail to do a proper background check on the property. This also happens when builders or brokers quote a lucrative offer and buyers get so overwhelmed by the price factor that they don’t even feel the need to do any background check. However, such negligence can prove costly for homebuyers in future.

For instance, recently a viral video from Hyderabad shared on X (formerly Twitter) by a journalist showed water flowing like an angry river through the lanes of a residential area in Gajularamaram. The video highlighted why it is important for home buyers to do proper background research before buying any property anywhere across India.

FE Money talked to some legal experts to understand what are the ways in which homebuyers can do background checks on any property before buying. Read on to know what they say:

Before the development of any town/city, its town planning department prepares a master plan laying down how the development will take place. Such a master plan will usually indicate how and where areas of green belt (forest, gardens, etc.), residential areas, commercial areas, industrial areas, water bodies, etc. will be developed.

“Before buying any property, the purchasers/homebuyers can conduct a basic due diligence by enquiring from the district’s town planning department and ascertain what lays or was laid beneath the land about to be purchased,” says Shashank Agarwal, Advocate, Delhi HC.

Also Read: Hyderabad flat buying guide: Key documents and details homebuyers should have on their checklist

“One another important aspect to check is the city’s masterplan and check whether the construction is being done in the allowable area or it falls in the restricted portions