Chennai Corporation in talks to relax housing area norms

Chennai

In a move aimed at curtailing the rising number of unauthorized constructions in the city, the Chennai Corporation on Friday met officials from the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) and Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) to request them to reduce the minimum area required to construct a residential building in the city.

Urban planning experts and builders though are a bit wary. They say the move may create practical difficulties in adhering to building regulations and would increase congestion.

The civic body wants the CMDA to reduce the minimum area required for construction of a residential house in a detached building area from 80 square metres or 861 square feet, to 50 square metres or 538 square feet. Civic body officials say a smaller area will make individual houses more affordable to middle class families.

“Land prices even in congested parts of the city are in the range of 1 crore per ground. An 861 square feet plot costs more than 35 lakh, but a 538 square feet plot will be around 22 lakh only,” said a corporation official, seeking to justify the move would make housing affordable for many.

A detached building area is any residential locality in the city where a minimum set back area has to be maintained between buildings. Builders do not show any interest to redevelop small plots. “Small plots usually fail to get clearance beyond two storeys, so it can’t house too many families,” says a corporation official.

Corporation officials say this regulation leads to many residents resorting to unauthorized constructions. “They just go ahead and construct beyond the permitted floor space index, do not leave setbacks or construct extra floors illegally,” says a corporation engineer. The civic body sealed 71 buildings after March 2011. If rules are relaxed, more people will adhere to the rules, they feel.

Urban planners say this move is just a temporary solution to address the acute shortage of land. “Now even a detached area will start looking like continuous building area,” says M G Devasahayam, an urban planning expert. “It will surely lead to more congestion, the existing development control regulations will have to be reworked and it does not comply with the second master plan of the CMDA,” he said.

Private builders too agree. “Even if the setback space on three sides is reduced from 1.5 metre to 1 metre, we are left with just 260 square feet. Though FSI will allow us to build 800 square feet, we cannot achieve it in two floors,” says N Nandakumar, secretary of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India (Credai), Chennai chapter.

He said the quality of housing will be another casualty. “This rule must apply mainly to the narrow lanes in old parts of Chennai, and if more then two dwelling units are allowed to reside, what is the kind of footprint we are likely to create?” asks Nandakumar.

Urban experts urge the government to study the land still left unused that could provide space for housing in the city for the economically weaker sections. CMDA and housing board officials remained non-committal because they feel the plan is currently in very initial stages.

Source: The Times of India, Chennai