Proposal to let city homes grow taller, add more floors

Aiming to offer a big relief to residential property owners, a proposal to allow city homes to grow vertically from the current limit of 15 metres to 33 metres is being studied by Delhi administration officials.

The move to explore possibilities of vertical growth in residential zones has been sent to the officials of Delhi administration and civic agencies by the Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC).

 “We are studying the proposal,” said a senior official in the Urban Development Department, adding that the relaxed building height proposal is still at a discussion stage.

The official said if the idea takes a formal shape it may translate into extra floors in buildings which at present are allowed to have a maximum of three floors with an optimal height of 15 metres.

Taller buildings may also permit a higher density of population in the city and could also be used to bring constructions in some unauthorised colonies under some form of a legal framework.

“The proposal is part of an exercise to review the building bye-laws and make them more user-friendly and self-regulatory,” he said.An official said it also includes an important component of giving more freedom to property owners to get their building plans approved from certified structural engineers and architects.

 “There is a suggestion to have a committee to clear the building plans of big buildings. The panel may comprise architects, service engineers and structural engineers,” he said.

“The big plan is to clear the construction drawings of big buildings within 24 hours. The validity of an approved building plan may also be increased from two years to five years,” said an official.

The DUAC has also sought suggestions from officials of the local bodies like municipal corporations and the Delhi Development Authority on the ongoing review of the Delhi Building Bye-laws 1983.

“The old building bye-laws are proving to be an impediment in the changed development scenario in the city which has seen a huge spurt in demand in the housing sector,” said an official.  

After receiving the suggestions from experts, the DUAC will send a report to the Urban Development Ministry. The ministry will then issue a notification to formally announce the modification in the bye-laws.