Stilt plus four floors: ‘Haryana didn’t make efforts to augment, redesign sectors, despite windfall of revenue, finds report

Not much thought, in terms of evaluation of the infrastructure capacity in urban areas, seems to have gone into the formulation of two Haryana government policies of 2016 and 2019 which facilitated the construction of stilt plus four floors in the state’s urban areas.

While stilt plus four constructions were allowed with the intent of increasing the availability of housing at affordable prices, complaints started pouring in from residents who pointed out overburdening of the existing infrastructure, damage to adjoining structures, and congestion due parking of vehicles on roads.

The two policies of town and country planning department though spoke of suitably amending the zoning plans/architectural controls in licenced and HUDA colonies as additional FAR was being permitted, no efforts were made for augmentation and redesigning of sectors or colonies to accommodate the increased FAR.

The policies of 2016 and 2019 titled - Increase in floor area ratio (FAR) for residential plots in licenced colonies as well as for change of land use granted projects for residential use along with purchasable development rights – though brought a windfall for the state as they fetched a massive ₹1,179 crore revenue, including ₹689 crore from colonies set up by private developers from the sale of the FAR.

Incidentally, the chairperson of the expert committee set up to examine the contentious issue of construction of stilt + four floors in urban areas, P Raghavendra Rao, had approved the September 6, 2016 policy (facilitating the stilt plus four constructions) as additional chief secretary, town and country planning.

Most residential sectors planned on old parameters

The expert committee, in its report, observed that residential areas and sectors developed in the state either by private colonisers, HSVP, urban local bodies, HSIIDC or other agencies, were predominantly based on the planning parameters in existence prior to the revision in Controlled Area Rules, 1965, and its subsequent amendment in 1990, permitting only two-and-half-storey building with maximum ground coverage of 60%, FAR ranging from 100 to 145 (varying with the size of plot) and 11 m maximum height.

“These sectors and colonies have been developed mainly on 9 metre wide internal circulation roads. The planned urban habitat developed over the last over 50 years by Haryana, under the defined statute is now facing issues after provisioning of stilt plus four floors in the Haryana building code. Mainly, the issues pertained to civic, social infrastructure as the existing sectors/colonies are stated to be not in a position to take the additional load of the increased population likely to come with the implementation of the stilt policy,” said the committee after consultations with the stakeholders.

Predominantly, the public consultations brought out that roads were congested due to parking of vehicles, sewer lines were blocked, and residents were facing back-flow, the report said. It said that water infrastructure was not able to pump water even up to ground plus second floor constructions and power cuts were regular. The district administration or the agencies concerned, such as HSVP, municipal corporations, HSIIDC, have also broadly accepted these deficiencies of social and civic infrastructure during public hearings, the report said.

The expert group said that allowing stilt plus four will increase these problems manifold as the existing services are designed for maximum 13.5 person per plot, with a maximum permissible FAR ranging between 1 to 1.45. “However, after revising the building norms/ FAR, which has been increased to 2.65, no efforts have been made for augmentation and redesigning of sectors or colonies to accommodate the increased FAR. The increase in FAR is very much likely to increase the population and consequently the traffic while creating additional demand for more civic and social infrastructure,” the expert group said.

‘Will disturb peace and tranquility of neighbours’

The report said this will not only disturb the existing habitat but the vicinity. This can disrupt the peaceful atmosphere and tranquility that neighbouring residents may have previously enjoyed, impacting their ability to relax, concentrate, and enjoy their living spaces. With taller buildings, adjacent residents may experience a decrease in natural light reaching their living spaces. Reduced access to sunlight can negatively affect the mood, productivity, and overall well-being of residents. Additionally, views of the surrounding environment, including green spaces or landmarks, may be obstructed, impacting the aesthetic appeal and sense of connection to the neighbourhood. Increased FAR in residential sectors can have implications on the safety of the surrounding area. Another aspect to consider is the strain on emergency services. With higher residential density, there is an increased demand for emergency services such as police, ambulance, and medical responders. These services may need to be augmented to meet the growing needs of the population, ensuring that emergency response time remains within acceptable limits and that resident can access timely assistance when needed, the report said.