Highrises may flatten heritage………Sandeep Ashar
Highrises may soon come up at renowned heritage precincts in the city. Municipal commissioner Jairaj Phatak, who in the past year has had several stand-offs with the BMCheritage panel, has proposed to clip its powers.
Revising the conditions for redevelopment of plots in grade III heritage precincts, Phatak has proposed to waive off the clearance required from the panel for development of structures under sections 33(6) and 33(10) of the development control regulations.
While the first section provides for reconstruction of buildings destroyed by fire, collapses and demolishing, the second provides for redevelopment/construction of registered slum colonies and cess buildings by owners, developers and by the slum rehabilitation authority.
The proposal, which will be put before the Improvements Committee on June 6, also states that a special permission from the municipal commissioner will be enough for redevelopment of all buildings/sites falling in Grade III heritage precincts. If the committee approves the modification, it will mean that an NOC for development from the panel will be required only for those structures classified as Grade-I and Grade-II heritage.
Requesting anonymity, a heritage committee member said that the move was planned to give a licence to developers to build on heritage sites. The island city and parts of western suburbs like Bandra and Khar will be the most affected by the modification as a large number of Grade III heritage precincts are located there. Panel’s chairman Sharad Upasani refused to comment.