Proposed rise in Delhi FAR | Magicbricks.com Property Pulse

Proposed rise in Delhi FAR | Magicbricks.com Property Pulse

Delhi is poised for some sweeping changes as the higher floor area ratio (FAR) permitted by the new Master Plan 2021 will allow most houses to go up to four floors.

Property owners facing danger of demolition of constructions beyond permissible limit may heave a sigh of relief with Delhi government proposing to increase the floor area ratio for buildings in certain areas. Delhi cabinet, chaired by chief minister Sheila Dikshit, decided to recommend to the Centre a proposal to allow more floor area ratio in special areas including Old Delhi localities, Paharganj, Karol Bagh and in some villages. The FAR is a limit imposed on the ratio of the total floor area of a building to the size of the land on which it is constructed.

Lakhs of property owners seeking regularization of floor area ratio and having unauthorized constructions in their buildings will benefit if the recommendation, to be sent to Union urban development ministry, is accepted. The recommendation to extend the FAR has also been made for 1,639 unauthorized colonies, which were provided provisional regularization certificates by the city government.

The cabinet has also recommended allowing subdivision of plots in certain areas keeping in view expanding families and their residential requirements. Currently, subdivision of plots in certain areas is not allowed. In order to facilitate residential group housing in special areas, regularizing unauthorized colonies and villages, the government has also recommended that the minimum size of plot for this purpose should be reduced from existing 3,000 sq meter to 1,000 sq meter.

Delhi finance minister A K Walia said the government has recommended subdivision of plots to facilitate construction of more dwelling units. The smaller plots will have to comply with provision of building regulations under Master Plan 2021. “This will put an end to ongoing unplanned construction in colonies as the holders of subdivided plots will be entitled to get their plans approved by the local bodies.” Walia said the city government has decided to recommend increase in existing FAR from 350 to 400 in respect of regularization of constructions that were completed as on February 7, 2007 on payment of prescribed charges. Further, the size of plot for increased FAR has also been increased from 175 sq metres to 250 sq metres.

Currently, the maximum limit of FAR on a plot of 175 sq metres to 250 sq metres is 350. Walia said the recommendations have been made after the Centre asked the Delhi government to provide its inputs for finalizing the Special Areas Provision Act. Officials said a higher FAR will mean allowing the houses to go up to four floors. Walia clarified that the earlier condition of having a maximum height of 15 metres will remain the same.

The city government has also recommended increasing the FAR for areas along the Metro lines and bus rapid corridors so as to encourage growth of real estate sector. “This recommendation has been made to ensure growth of the areas along the Metro lines and BRT corridor,” said Walia adding that the government has not recommended any specific FAR for these areas.

On the proposal to reduce the requirement of plot size from current 3,000 sq metres to 1,000 sq metres, he said often it is difficult to find such a huge plot of land in existing residential colonies for developing a housing society. “The recommendation has been made to encourage setting up of housing complexes in residential special areas,” he said. Earlier, Tejinder Khanna, the lieutenant governor of Delhi, had constituted a committee to redraft the proposed regulations in a more simplified manner. The draft regulations with the approval of Khanna were then sent to the Union government. The ministry of urban development invited comments of the city government on draft regulations and guidelines.

According to the Master Plan, the buildings can be taller – going up to 14 to 16 floors – if builders and developers are able to amalgamate an area of at least 4,000 sq metres so long as they take care of three things: set up an effluent treatment plant so as to not choke up the sewerage system, put up solar panels to generate some power and build underground parking space. Slums will go but not the slum-dwellers, if the government keeps its promise – as enunciated in the plan document – to build highrise tenements where slums are currently located. Each tenement will have a builtup accommodation of 25 sq m. The plan promises that 50% of all new dwellings in the city will be for the poor. At the same time, the Union Cabinet legalized nearly 1,500 unauthorized colonies. This has been factored into the new plan. However, three upscale illegal colonies – Sainik Farms, Mahendru Enclave and Anant Ram Dairy have not been legalized yet. The Master Plan’s mantra is to develop housing through “a mix of redensification, redevelopment and creation of new housing in urban extension of about 20,000 hectares”.