Won’t allow high-rise buildings in Delhi as long as I’m alive: CM

Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit once again opposed Union urban development minister Kamal Nath’s push for vertical growth in the city, saying she will not allow high-rise buildings in Delhi as long as she is “alive”.

Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit once again opposed Union urban development minister Kamal Nath’s push for vertical growth in the city, saying she will not allow high-rise buildings in Delhi as long as she is “alive”.

HT Image

Dikshit has been opposing the Capital’s vertical expansion, arguing that it will put additional stress on existing resources and infrastructure in the city besides severely impacting the ecology.

“I am personally not in favour of developing skyscrapers in the city, as it would result in difficulties in making available adequate power and water supply. Further, it would also restrict the open area,” she said during a function organised by industry chamber Assocham on Friday.

The UD minister has been strongly pitching for allowing high-rises in Delhi to accommodate the growing population. As per existing norms, the height of a building in residential areas cannot go beyond 15 metres.

The ministry is currently in the process of reviewing the Master Plan Delhi 2021 and is expected to finalise a number of amendments such as allowing high-rises and increasing the existing floor area ratio (FAR). The FAR is the ratio of the total floor area of a building to the plot area.

In her address, Dikshit also talked about the flash floods in Uttarakhand.

“What had happened in Uttarakhand is really tragic. It was a man-made disaster. Let us assume the cloud burst had taken place because of god. But still it is a man-made disaster as construction activities had been going on without any logic, without looking into safety issues,” said Dikshit.

(With inputs from PTI)