Bengaluru is set for a fresh layer of development, with tweaked building bylaws kicking in. Despite the Supreme Court advising the state government to rethink its civic policy on vertical development and its effect on the city’s severely strained infrastructure, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) appears to be steaming ahead, brushing aside citizens’ concerns. In a deal that helps the GBA, land owners and real estate developers, the government has come up with the concept of premium floor area ratio (FAR), which allows owners to buy additional building rights of up to 40 percent of the original FAR. A plump ‘premium fee’, calculated at 28 percent of the land guidance value, is to be paid to the GBA. Another 20 percent of the basic FAR could be added through transferable development rights, giving owners 60 percent extra FAR. Fearing it would lead to large-scale construction, congestion, and scarcity of water and other resources, citizens had approached the Karnataka High Court, which upheld the implementation of premium FAR. While conditions have been imposed on the plot size, road width and parking space, it remains to be seen if these factors are adhered to.
By further freeing up building norms, the GBA has reduced some restrictions for small residential plots, allowing owners to make maximum use of space. By doing away with occupation certificates for small plots, it has paved the way for regularising violations to the SC-mandated check that was seen as a hurdle to issuing e-khatas and registrations, and consequently, revenue generation. The GBA has started regularising almost 7 lakh B-khata properties into A-khata, which helps owners avail of loans and utilities. Premium FAR is expected to generate Rs 2,000 crore annually, which the GBA plans to plough into urban infrastructure.
This ‘ease of building’ has raised concerns among old Bengalureans that taller buildings would mean higher population—both human and vehicular—and whether the city’s infrastructure would hold up. IT City’s notorious traffic and monsoon flooding are well documented. The government should pay heed to the SC’s wisdom that citizens’ interests are more important than that of realtors and builders. It should also put in place tough checks to prevent unplanned growth and rampant illegalities, especially a lack of compliance on structural and fire safety, waste management, parking and groundwater usage. The other road could lead to disaster.