PMC urges Def Ministry to relax building height curbs

PMC urges Def Ministry to relax building height curbs

Pune: Considering the far-reaching impact on the city infrastructure of the Defence Ministry’s rule that developers should obtain a No Objection Certificate (NoC) owing to height restrictions on constructions in an area of 12 km around defence establishments, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has requested the Defence Ministry through the State Urban Development Department to relax the height restriction norms. 

The PMC has also expressed fear of serious impact of the rule on the overall development of the city as well as growing unauthorised constructions. In April 2018, the Defence Ministry issued a colour-coded zoning map (CCZM) and mentioned the site elevation (height restriction) of that area with a different colour. 

Builders and property holders who want to start new construction have to take site elevation certificate from Survey of India (SOI) and attach the same to PMC’s plan and send it to the Defence Ministry. Now SOI has stopped issuing site elevation certificate as it is flooded with applications. Also, they are not able to issue certificates within the stipulated time.

To regulate the height of the buildings or structures around the major defence establishments, under the new rule, developers will have to take NoC from the Defence Ministry while Indian Air Force has been made the sanctioning authority to give it. The developers have to apply online to get NoCs. According to architects, it takes more than a month to acquire NoCs and the process is tiresome.

Speaking to mediapersons, Saurabh Rao, Municipal Commissioner said, “We have sent a detailed note to Defence Ministry through State government’s Urban Development Department about height restriction issue. We have requested relaxation in the restriction.” 

The PMC stated in the letter that according to the Defence Ministry’s decision, they are able to construct only 27 metres tall building or structure in that area. This would mean a nine storied building, but if there are two parking floors, then, it will be only seven-storied building. Every property holder would have to take an elevation certificate from the Defence Ministry for any new constructions. 

This would adversely affect the new constructions and push unauthorised constructions. The city is on the stage of development and it will adversely impact the upcoming construction, the letter also stated. “The PMC is giving permission for new construction and repairs. In the future, there will be an increase in Floor Space Index (FSI) permission for new constructions. The proposals will be increased in future and we will have to send construction proposals to Survey of India (SoI) and the Defence Ministry. SoI has already put a notice about not accepting new applications for site elevation certificates. If we give fresh permission to FSI and it gets delayed, it will curtail development of the city,“ the PMC further said in the letter. 

The PMC also said that authority should be given to the municipal corporation to give ASML (Average Sea Mean Level) permission for constructions and to finalise benchmark by SoI and hand over to the municipal corporation so that corporation can give ASML permission to constructions.

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