‘Regularise buildings exceeding FAR limit’

With nearly 80 % of residential buildings in Delhi having an illegal fourth floor, the MCD has asked the Urban Development Ministry to regularise them in lieu of a regularisation fee. Hamari Jamatia reports .

With nearly 80 % of residential buildings in Delhi having an illegal fourth floor, the MCD has asked the Urban Development Ministry to regularise them in lieu of a regularisation fee.

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While the city allows construction on just 75 % of the land till a height of 15 metres (ground+3) leading to a maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 300, most houses in Delhi are built on the entire land leading to an FAR of 400. The fourth floors of such houses are considered illegal and are in danger of being demolished.

However, so far, the MCD has not taken the drastic step of removing the fourth floor as it is a huge exercise that will mean demolishing lakhs of structures. The move comes at a time when the ministry has decided to ban the sealing and demolition of existing structures in the city for three years till the new comprehensive plan for development of Delhi is made.

Now, the MCD leader of the house, Subhash Arya, has written to the UD Ministry to allow the regularisation of buildings with extra FAR so that the fear of the demolition squad is permanently removed. “Around 80 % of residential buildings in the city have added floors without following the building bylaws. Since the MCD cannot demolish each of the lakhs of buildings, I have written to the ministry to allow regularisation of such buildings,” said Arya.

He said that people who want to regularise their fourth floor will have to submit an application to the MCD and pay a certain regularisation fee that shall be decided once the proposal for regularisation is accepted.