Central Government Relaxes Green Norms for High Rise Buildings..!

In what will be a big relief to builders / promoters in tightly-packed cities such as Mumbai, the environment ministry has done away with green clearances for high-rise buildings based on the width of the roads that they fall by the side of and the distance from fire-stations. It has left it to the state government to makes rules as they deem fit.

The move comes after many state governments and Maharashtra in particular — had pleaded with the Union government to remove the regulations that the builders had strongly opposed. The relaxation is expected to allow builders / promotes to put up higher multi-storey buildings on smaller roads & lanes in cities.

Safety Measures for high rise buildings..!

The rules required buildings more than 60 metres can secure an environment clearance if they were on roads at least 30 metre wide. Such buildings had to be located within 2 km of a fire station. Buildings between 45 &  60 metres needed to have an approach road that is at least 24 metres wide and at not above 5 km from a fire station.

Buildings between 30 &  45 metres had to be located on roads at least 18 metres wide with fire stations not above than 10 km away.

Buildings between 15 & 30 metres required a 15-metre wide approach road, but no restriction linked to presence of fire stations was placed.

The February 2012 regulations also required a no objection certificate (NOC) from the state fire department & the national or state disaster management authorities.

The provisions had been brought in considering safety measures for high rise buildings and increase in traffic in cities.

But after a lot of criticism that found support in the PMO (Prime Minister Office), the environment ministry set up a committee under Planning Commission member Mr. K Kasturirangan to review these norms &  other clearance conditions applicable to roads, SEZs and the real estate sector.

The panel recommended doing away with the regulations and leaving it to the state governments to regulate the safety codes.

Green Clearances for High-Rise Buildings..!

Building Highest	Road Wide	Fire Stations Distance
Above 60 meters	At least 30 meters	within 2 km
Between 45 & 60 meters	At least 24 meters	Not above 5 km
between 15 & 30 meters	At least 15-metre	No restriction

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