In the first move towards paving the way for the Capital’s vertical growth through high rises, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will on Monday bring in a proposal for modification of the Master Plan to allow raising the heights of buildings by 2.5 metres.
The proposal envisages a new definition of high rises. It calls for increasing the height of residential building from the present 15 metres to 17.5 metres. It will now be mandatory for all buildings to have provision for stilt parking to avail the benefit of extended height. This is being done in order to tackle the shortage of parking space particularly in residential colonies. Further, all buildings above 15-metre (without stilt parking) and those higher than 17.5 meters with stilt parking in all land use zones will be considered as high rise buildings and they will be required to obtain the mandatory environment and fire safety clearances. The Master Plan of Delhi 2021 allows a maximum height of 15 metres for buildings at present. The meeting of the DDA will be chaired by the lieutenant Governor of Delhi.
“Buildings with a stilt parking having 17.5 metre height should not be considered or categorized as the high rise building for purpose of fire and life safety requirements and clearance by the fire and environment department. After modification, the rooftops of high rise buildings can be used for construction of swimming pools, landscaping and related structures,” the proposal said.
There is no provision in the Master Plan for Delhi 2021 specifying development control norms for such buildings. High rises have been the topic of hot debate in the past, with Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit having expressed reservations about allowing such buildings to come up in the city. She has been opposing vertical expansion, arguing that it will put additional stress on existing resources and infrastructure in the city besides severely impacting the ecology. On the other hand, Union Minister of Urban Development Kamal Nath has been continually pointing out the need for high-rises as Delhi cannot grow horizontally. The move will also encourage builders to go vertical in the city.
“At present, four floors can be accommodated within the 15-metre restriction but that might be difficult if a stilt parking has to be built too,” said Congress MlA Naseeb Singh, who is a member of the DDA. “By modifying the norms of Master Plan for Delhi 2021, people would be encouraged to build stilt parking, which would help in tackling the lack of parking space in most of the residential areas,” he said. One of the problems related to allowing high rises has been Delhi’s lack of available infrastructure to support such buildings,” a DDA official said. After it is approved by DDA, the proposal would be sent to the Union Urban Development Ministry for a final approval and the amendment would be made in the master plan.
