Free-of-cost slum tenements in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad will now be slightly bigger

Pune

Free-of-cost slum tenements in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad will now be slightly bigger, up from the present 225 sq ft to 269 sq ft, under the proposed special regulations of the state government. The residential tenement would include a balcony, bath and a water closet.

The floor space index (FSI) may also be increased from the present 2.5 to 3. FSI is the ratio of the total floor area of the building to the area of the land on which the building exists.

The additional FSI would mean that added construction on the plot for the benefit of slum dwellers and for commercial exploitation. In slum rehabilitation projects, land is utilised as an asset and private developers are provided incentive FSI for implementing them.

National president of Credai Lalitkumar Jain said there is nothing dynamic in the proposed special regulations. “The proposal to allow 3 FSI is already in place. While there were very few projects that could progress due to 2.5 FSI, the slum rehabilitation projects got some boost after 3 FSI. The slum dwellers would benefit from the additional carpet area,” he said

The special regulations will replace the existing development control rules for slum rehabilitation schemes in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. The slum rehabilitation authority (SRA) for Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad has invited suggestions and objections before August 26 for the modification proposal to incorporate these special regulations. They can be submitted to the SRA’s office on Senapati Bapat Road.

According to the authority, the copies of the draft special regulations are available for inspection at the offices of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporations, district collectorate, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation.

As per the regulations, while the permissible FSI in congested and non-congested areas may exceed 3, an FSI up to a maximum of 0.5 would have to be utilized for convenience shopping on the ground and stilt floors.

The proposed draft special regulations have sought eviction of slums on hilltops, slopes, greenbelts and no development zones on a priority. Slum areas existing on reservations like playgrounds, gardens, recreation grounds and open spaces would not be allowed rehabilitation on the same land, except under certain conditions.

The SRA would have to prepare an immediate action plan and identify all slum areas and grant approval for rehabilitation of such slums on environmental and ecological reasons in a time-bound manner within five years of the publication of the rules.

The rules state that such lands should be handed over to the planning authority against transfer of development rights as per the development control rules.

As per the draft, the regulations will not be applicable to slum areas existing on lands earmarked on hilltops, slopes, green belts and non-development zones in the development plan.

Slum areas existing on reservations like a playground, garden, recreation ground, and open spaces would not be allowed to be rehabilitated on the same land, subject to the decision of writ petition filed in the High Court, the regulations state.

Similarly, hutment dwellers in slums that are on lands required for vital public utility purposes or on hazardous locations are to be rehabilitated on other available plots. Commercial godowns, cow sheds, scrap godowns and hazardous structures will not be permitted in the rehabilitation scheme. As per the regulations, such structures will be evicted.

The reconstructed tenement would give joint ownership to the hutment dweller and the spouse. They would not be allowed to either sell or lease the tenement without the permission of the SRA. The allotment of the tenement to the original beneficiary is to be terminated if any unauthorised persons are found occupying the tenement.

The regulations state that after ten years of the allotment, the beneficiary can transfer it to legal heirs. The SRA would permit transfer of the tenement after ten years by charging a premium of 25 per cent of the then prevailing market value of the tenement.

Pratima Joshi, architect and co-founder of Shelter Associates that works for the urban poor, said the city must look at sustainable housing for all. It can happen through slum rehabilitation projects via Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, basic services for the urban poor, or through slum rehabilitation authority, she said.

“Slum rehabilitation should happen through public-private partnership, but the compensation to developers is quite high and it is not in form of money but in the form of transfer of development rights. This allows further densification of the city and is not in the interest of the city,” she said.

There should be competitive bidding for the projects, she added. “We will submit our suggestions and objections to the proposed new regulations,” she added.

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