E-Paper
Master Plan amendments: Floor area ratio norms to be decided on consultant’s report
The consultant’s assessment will determine the additional infrastructure capacity required to support higher density development and whether existing civic systems can sustain the proposed increase
The UT administration is set to appoint a consultant to carry out a comprehensive infrastructure audit of key growth zones, including the city’s periphery, industrial areas and proposed Transit Oriented Development (TOD) corridors, before finalising the floor area ratio (FAR) norms for these areas.
The consultant’s assessment will determine the additional infrastructure capacity required to support higher density development and whether existing civic systems can sustain the proposed increase in built-up area. The FAR, which governs the maximum permissible construction area on a plot, will be decided based on the recommendations of the infrastructure audit report.
Officials said the audit will examine critical infrastructure components, including road capacity, traffic movement, parking availability, water supply, sewerage network, storm-water drainage, electricity infrastructure and other civic services. The study will also assess the level of augmentation required before permitting higher FAR in identified areas.
The move comes amid the administration’s proposed amendments to the Chandigarh Master Plan-2031, which seek greater land utilisation through vertical growth and densification in selected areas while keeping the heritage sectors of Phase-I protected.
Under the proposed changes, higher FAR and relaxed development norms are being considered for areas such as Phase-3 (beyond Sector 47) sectors, industrial areas and peripheral pockets. Planners have maintained that any increase in density must be matched with adequate infrastructure capacity.
After the rollout of the amendments of Master Plan-2031, city-based architects had raised concerns over infrastructure stress and the need for augmentation of water supply, power, sewerage and storm-water systems before allowing additional development pressure.
The most visible transformation is expected in Phase 3 and the city’s periphery, where the amendments mandate a minimum four-storey height for new group housing projects. The revised building norms allow for a maximum height of 30 metres (around 98.5 feet) and a FAR of 3.0, enabling significantly higher residential density than existing provisions.
For industrial plots up to one acre, the residential FAR is proposed to be increased to 5%, effectively doubling the current allowance. For plots exceeding one acre, the permissible residential component could be raised to 2.5% FAR, marking a five-fold increase over the existing provision.
There is further proposal for expansion of mixed land use (MLU) zones under its draft Master Plan-2031 amendments, reshaping key corridors into dense, high-rise urban hubs where residential, commercial and institutional activities will coexist. At the centre of the proposal is the transformation of the Vikas Marg corridor, where large reserved belts on both sides are set to be opened up for high-density, mixed-use development.
The infrastructure audit is expected to provide a scientific basis for deciding how much additional population and construction load different areas can accommodate.
An official said the administration wants to avoid a situation where higher FAR results in pressure on roads, parking, water supply and other services. “The FAR will not be decided in isolation. It will be linked to the infrastructure capacity of each area,” the official added.
