The Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority (NMRDA) has issued notices to 2,582 buildings and layouts declaring them unauthorized. On the lines of industrialists, public representatives and builders are demanding regularization of these buildings arguing they all came up before new development control regulations (DCR) were implemented.
As per NMRDA data, highest number of unauthorized buildings and layouts (756) was in South division followed by 750 in East, 555 in West and 521 in North division. There are 2,467 buildings and 115 layouts having large number of plots.
Among buildings, 124 are educational institutions while 79 are function halls. There are 86 restaurants, 499 industries, 81 multi-storeyed residential and commercial complexes, 84 mobile towers and other buildings of which most (1,514) are residential.
NMRDA officials told that DCRs were approved in January 2018. NMRDA teams are conducting inspection of the buildings and layouts as per DCR since June 2018. “Till now, we found 2,582 buildings and layouts unauthorized. They have been asked to get themselves regularized. But parts of a majority of structures are non-compoundable as per DCR,” they said.
TOI on December 25 had reported the demand of Chamber of Association of Maharashtra Industry and Trade (CAMIT) for special scheme to regularize existing structures of industries. CAMIT said a majority of industries came up in the past and were now facing closure as NMRDA was asking for regularization as per DCR approved in January 2018.
West Nagpur MLA Vikas Thakre said, “NMRDA should make applicable DCR of 2018 on layouts and buildings that came up after implementation of DCR. Buildings and layouts in metropolitan region are older and came up as per approval of respective gram panchayats and other authorities. Demolition of parts of these structures means destruction of total building. NMRDA has been established for development of metropolitan region and not for destroying existing development.”
Thakre said he will meet chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, urban development minister Eknath Shinde and speaker Nana Patole and ensure a scheme for saving the structures.
Secretary of CREDAI Nagpur Gaurav Agarwala said, “Compounding of a majority of buildings is not possible as per DCR of 2018. Structures constructed before January 2018 should be regularized as they are. NMRDA should ensure structural and fire safety in existing buildings.”
Activist Anil Wadpalliwar who raised the issue of unauthorized constructions cropped up in Besa and Beltarodi said, “Gram panchayats were authority for gaothan and collector office for outside gaothan. But developers and builders took sanction from gram panchayats for outside gaothan. These buildings would have been not declared unauthorized if they had obtained sanction from collector office. Action should be taken against gram panchayats who gave sanctions.”
Wadpalliwar added, “DCR is meant for safety of structures and providing amenities for people. Developers and builders duped people by constructing structures much above permissible floor space index (FSI). Area of open spaces, public utility lands and roads are not left. It will not be proper to regularize buildings and layouts as they are.”
There are over 1 lakh buildings in the metropolitan region. When the government gave various relaxations for regularization on October 7, 2017, NMRDA received 11,000 applications. The NMRDA is conducting inspection and issuing notices at slow pace.
