No vertical limits for highrises, rules only advisory

Mumbai: There are no vertical limits for the city. Restrictions imposed on highrise activity by the Union environment ministry aresettobe relaxed. 

    In April last year, the environment ministry issued guidelines linking the height of the building with the width of a road anditsdistancetothe nearestfirestation. 
    While the guidelines were earlier mandatory, sources said the environment ministry decided to render them "advisory" following objection by thestate. 
    The ministry has earlier arguedthathighrisesin congested areas putthelifeof itsoccupants at risk during emergencies. Going by the guidelines, a structure higher than 60 m (20 floors) was permitted only if the width of the roadin frontof itwas 30 m or more. Also, its distance from the nearest fire station had to be 2 km or less. A 45-60m structure (15-19 floors) was allowed on 24-m-wide roads and its distance from the nearest fire station had tobewithin 5km. 
    Arguing that the norms would bring construction in Mumbaito a standstill,chief minister Prithviraj Chavan had sought relaxation in provisions.Hehad saidin Mumbai,wherelandwas scarce, redevelopment of dilapidatedbuildings andslumscould only beundertaken vertically. 
    After Chavan met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the latter constituted a committee ledby planning commission member Dr K Kasturirangan to lookintotheissue.The panelis yet tosubmititsfinal report,butthe ministry has indicated that the normswill notbe mandatory. 
    An announcement may be made during Union environment minister Jayanti Natarajan's visit to city on April 2. The state will alsoflagtheissueof moratorium on development activities in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg. HigherFSI for Mhada layouts T he state will increase FSI for redevelopment of 5,000 societies on Mhada plots. The FSI on gross plot area will rise from 2.5 to 3.Retaining a condition, which requires a private builder to share surplus built-up area with Mhada in the 33:67 ratio, the state will link the developers' incentive to ready reckoner rates.