Over 500 Mumbai, Navi Mumbai Building Clearances Hit by Two-Month NOCAS Glitch

A technical glitch in the No Objection Certificate Application System (NOCAS) disrupted civil aviation clearances for building projects across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai for nearly two months, leaving more than 500 project proposals pending. The prolonged disruption stalled height clearances, which are mandatory for high-rise developments across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

The backlog hit developers seeking required approvals from civil aviation authorities, throwing project timelines into disarray. The disruption also severely impacted developers who had planned to launch new projects during the Diwali festive period, a window that traditionally drives heightened marketing and property sales across the region.

According to sources, the online portal remained completely non-functional for close to two months. The technical failure prevented real estate applicants from completing mandatory application procedures and securing clearances required to proceed with construction.

The system reportedly resumed functioning on Thursday, allowing stuck applications to begin moving through the pipeline again. However, the extended downtime has raised serious questions over how essential building clearances were allowed to stall for so long in one of the country's most active real estate markets.

While the restoration of the NOCAS portal is expected to help address the accumulated applications, developers remain concerned about the sheer size of the backlog. Industry stakeholders are now closely watching how much time authorities will need to process and clear the hundreds of pending files.