The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) board has approved several changes in the building bylaws to provide more space for industrial and residential buildings. While the state government has given its in-principal approval, the changes will now be up for a cabinet nod.
“For residential houses and flats, the 1.5m-wide balcony will no longer be part of the floor area ratio (FAR), allowing for more spacious flats and houses. This also means the carpet area will increase, allowing more flats in highrises and benefitting flat buyers and builders,” said YEIDA CEO Arun Vir Singh.
To promote electric vehicles, the Authority has also introduced a provision for installing EV charging facilities in homes on residential plots or in group housing societies.
Besides, the Authority has relaxed the parking space norms for industrial and residential plots to allow for more ground coverage, said the CEO. Previously, one car parking was a must for every 80 sqm of building. Now, one parking is a must for every 100 sqm, which will allow fewer but more spacious parking.
The FAR for industrial plots has increased from 1.5 to 2. For electronics manufacturing, it has risen to 3 from the earlier 1.5. The changes will allow larger and taller industrial units.
On the other hand, the ground coverage will now extend to 60-70% for industrial plots in the warehousing and logistics category. Earlier, the ground coverage for plots of up to 4,000 sqm was up to 50%, which decreased further for larger-sized plots. The change, said the CEO, is in view of most industrial activities occurring on the ground floor.
Rishabh Nigam, president of Yamuna Expressway Entrepreneurs Association, welcomed the changes, saying they would benefit industries, especially in the MSME sector.
“Increased FAR will mean more production and jobs. After all, we may have to go vertically in the future, given the space crunch. Increased ground coverage, including a proper fire exit plan, is also a step in the right direction,” he said.
Nigam also supported the change in the parking requirement, saying, “All the YEIDA sectors have quite wideroads, so parking will not be an issue here.”
Nikhil Hawelia, CREDAI-NCR joint secretary and Hawelia Group MD, said, “Earlier, we faced limitations in providing adequate parking to homebuyers for bigger cars. The change means parking spaces can be larger. The rule should extend to the other two industrial authorities.”
“Electric vehicles are the future, so taking proactive steps to incorporate provisions for them is also a welcome move. Also, builders in the YEIDA area can now offer more spacious balconies to homebuyers within the same FAR allocation. The Noida and Greater Noida authorities already do not consider the 1.5m-wide balcony a part of FAR,” he said.
