New Development Plan will 'enhance' height of Mumbai buildings

No sooner the new Development Plan comes into effect, than Mumbai will grow taller. Officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)'s development department confirmed that now building up to 120-metre (m) need not go to the high-rise committee for a clearance. The earlier mark was 70-m. This means, a building with 22 floors can now go up to 40 floors. With the new DP, builders feel that taller buildings could be constructed faster as earlier it would take a long time for a file to pass through the high-rise committee.

However, housing experts are worried about the fire safety measures and other emergency facilities.

"Developers can build taller buildings but does the fire department have a snorkel that can go above 20-21 floors? Also, how will they rescue someone stuck on the 38th floor of a high-rise during an emergency? We have to think of home buyers not just the developers," said Chandrasekhar Prabhu, a leading housing activist and expert.

The new Mumbai DP which was notified last week, has given an FSI up to 3 in the Island city. A majority of the builders are upbeat after the doing away of the restriction from 70-m to 120-m for files to be sent to the high-rise committee. Mayur Shah, president of the CREDAI-MCHI said, "We had been demanding for this change in the new Development Control Rules for a long time. There was a committee too formed by the government to look into the height restrictions. We are happy that the height restriction is enhanced and now files will move faster."