Additional FSI in Mumbai’s island city will worsen quality of life: Experts

The additional FSI will “benefit a handful of developers” and has been “falsely proposed under the guise of public interest”, said planners.

In a letter to the state government, town planners have strongly objected to the state’s decision of allowing 0.5 additional floor space index (FSI) in the island city on the payment of a premium.

FSI, which determines the height of a building, is the ratio of the total built-up area to the plot size. (Representational photo)

FSI, which determines the height of a building, is the ratio of the total built-up area to the plot size.

The additional FSI will “benefit a handful of developers” and has been “falsely proposed under the guise of public interest”, said planners. It will also worsen the quality of life in the island city for want of adequate infrastructure, they said.

The Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI), a group of town planners, has termed the move a ‘disintegrated approach’ when the city’s Development Plan (DP) 2034 is in the final stages of approval. In contrast to the new regulation, DP allows an additional FSI of 0.34 in the island city on the payment of a premium.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had promised to release the long-pending DP in March.

As the move will result in more vertical growth, experts said that it will further burden infrastructure. Pankaj Joshi, executive director of UDRI, said, “While they have suggested such a dramatic increase in FSI, there is no talk about how they will provide for supporting infrastructure. Instead of larger public interest, this move will further deteriorate quality of life in Mumbai.”

The notification was issued under section 37 (1AA) of the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning (MRTP) Act, which allows the government to modify the DP in case of an ‘urgency’ and ‘for larger public interest’. A senior official from the state government said that all suggestions and objections will be considered before the final notification is issued.

The government has also decided that the additional FSI premium will be used for projects such as Dharavi redevelopment and Bandra-Versova Sea Link. “The funding generated by densifying an area should ideally be used to provide additional amenities in the same area,” Joshi added.