LUCKNOW: Taking another step towards protecting the Ganga river, the Uttar Pradesh govt has decided to ban construction activity within the 200 metres radius of the river.
In a first, the proposed draft of the building byelaws, likely to be notified soon, defines the kind of construction activity to be permitted along the banks of the holy river.
The byelaws would, however, allow repair, renovation and conservation work at the existing buildings near the Ganga river.
What was left as a grey area so far in some Ganga towns, the new guidelines would allow construction of ashrams, monasteries, and temples in major pilgrimage sites with riders — such as that the ground coverage of 35% must have a floor area ratio (FAR) of 1.5.
FAR is the ratio which governs the total usable space that could be created over a piece of land. For example, a plot measuring 5,000 square feet must have a build-up area of 7,500 sqft with FAR of 1.5 and 10,000 sqft if FAR is 2.
Moreover, property owners would have to give an undertaking that construction activity would not pollute the Ganga river and disposal of the building material and wastewater discharge from the property would be done in accordance with the norms. Similarly, restrictions would be imposed in case the National Green Tribunal or a court has regulated construction activity in other rivers.
The draft also directs the housing development department to implement the provisions of various sectoral-wise policies outlined by the UP govt. To promote industrial development, UP govt has introduced 33 sectoral policies to attract investments in various fields by offering additional incentives and exemptions for entrepreneurs and business persons.
Sharing some examples, a senior officer from the planning department said that FAR, building height restrictions, and usage of ancillary space vary for industries. While for residential, group housing, and commercial properties, FAR ranges between 1.5 and 3, for certain industries govt has allowed FAR up to 4.5.
“The sectoral policies framed for sectors such as warehousing, tourism, solar energy, textiles, among others, would be considered by the local development authorities. The map approval system would follow the norms and rules mentioned in the sectoral policies once the byelaws are notified,” said the officer.
Source Homevior.in
