The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is thinking positively about giving more Floor Space Index (FSI) to railway authorities for the development of railway stations. The civic authorities will consider this while chalking out the new Development Plan (DP) and also in the Development Control Regulations (DCR).
Civic officials confirmed that the changes in the DCR are already slated and they will be effective after discussions and deliberations. "Giving extra FSI to the railways will be worth for the city and the citizens considering the growing number of commuters. Proper approvals from competent authorities will be needed. The issue of additional FSI has a lot of parameters to dwell upon, especially when the city is witnessing exponential growth in real estate with almost everything going vertical. Even the railway stations will have to go vertically to exploit the existing available land," said a civic official.
Ameet Satam, BJP MLA from Andheri, who has been relentlessly following up the issue of development of Andheri railway station, said: "Andheri railway station is one of the busiest and congested stations on the western railway. If the station is developed vertically, it will not only decongest the railway precinct for better facilities but will also earn revenue for the railways. It is win-win situation for consumers and the authorities." Satam added that PK Das, town planner and architect, has submitted a presentation on how the railway station precinct can be decongested.
In his presentation, Das said: "Space around railway stations are probably the most chaotic city space, making entrances and exits very difficult. Lack of open space and poor planning have led to this degeneration thus making lives of millions of people who depend on rail transport painful. In Mumbai, over 6.9 million people travel by local train every day. The city and its suburbs have 51 stations. The total roof area of these stations would add up to approx. 6,27,300 sq mtr (155 acres). Creating additional space at the railway stations would be a significant urban development endeavour. Question is, how do we create more open space at railway stations, clear the present congestion and provide dignity to commuters?"
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