BMC rises to bldrs’ expectations, seeks to relax highrise norms

Mumbai: The city'sskyline is set to change. 

    Paying heedtodevelopers' demands,the civic body has submitted a proposal to chief minister Prithviraj Chavan to relax norms for skyscrapers. Currently, buildings over 70m or those with 24 storeys require clearance from the state government-appointed highrisecommittee. 

    Under the new proposal, the civic body will approve buildings that are up to 120m tall or those with 34 floors through agencies liketheIndian Instituteof Technology(IIT). Plansfor buildingsthat are120m to250m tall would be approved by consultants who have constructed three buildings of this height. For buildings over 250m, developers will have to get the plans approved by foreign consultants. 

    A high-ranking official in the chief minister's office said it will take some time before the proposal is approved. "The chief minister has sought clarifications from the civicbody on some points.Hewantstoknow the basic reason for stipulating a height of 120 m or for that matter 250m.He alsowants to know where such buildings can come up and the impact they are likely to have on local infrastructure. Chavan does not like to approve a proposal if there is no rationale behindit," saidtheofficial. 

    The CM, who recently met head of the highrise committee Justice (retired high court judge) S S Parkar, has directed the state urban development department to frame guidelines clearly stipulating the powers of the highrise committee and the state-level environment assessment committee to approve projects. The guidelines areexpectedtobe ready by May. 

    At present, experts on the highrise committee analyze the impact of towers on surroundings, the cone of influence in case of building collapses andtheimpactof factors such as the wind force and earthquakes on buildings. 

    The BMC is learnt to have framed the proposal after numerous meetings with builders affiliated to the Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI). 

    The MCHI had earlier complained to Chavan that the government-appointed highrisecommitteehad notcleared any proposal in six months though around 300 tower proposalswere pending in Mumbai. 

    Though the highrise committee's role waslimitedtochecking a structure'sstability, it was considering infrastructure and development issues while approving proposals, the developers had argued while suggesting thatthecommitteebedisbanded. 

    In the wake of allegations of red tapism and graft against one of the private members, the state government reconstituted the committee in September 2010, leaving out private structural engineers entirely. It was revamped again in 2011 after a member, structural expert Sailesh Mahimtura, was arrested by the anti-corruption bureau for accepting a bribefrom a builder. 

    State government officials said height checks would be in place till the BMC's fire department is better geared. Currently, the equipmentwiththefiredepartmentcannot reachbuildingsthat areover 70m tall. 

    Though the new norms seek to reduce dependenceon thecommittee,officialssaid some checks in the form of an independent body of engineers and architects were necessary asBMC'sengineerswere notcompetentenough atthe moment.