South Mumbai beats Doppler effect, hits a high

However, following the HC order, the BMC recently issued a circular stating, “In view of the court order, it is proposed to delete the condition that had been imposed on buildings since 2010 and not to insist on this condition in future.”

The BMC circular was also circulated to other town planning agencies involved in building approvals, including the Slum Rehabilitation Authority and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority.

On September 5, the BMC permitted commencement of construction work on Mazgaon-based luxury project Saifee Park, which is proposed to rise to 111 metres high with ground-plus five podiums and 26 upper residential floors.

According to senior BMC officials, decks are now clear for approvals to 20 other south Mumbai high-rise projects whose approval was withheld due to the restrictions.

Ratan Bhalwankar, the architect for the Mazgaon project, said that the issuance of commencement certificate for the high-rise, which already had plans to go up to 138 metres approved last year, was withheld after the IMD refused to grant it NOC and asked the developer to restrict the height to 75 metres. “The restrictions were imposed even as the development control norms do not stipulate them. The developers suffered further hardship since the BMC had already collected premium worth Rs 12 crore towards fungible floor space index for the approved height. Initially, we represented our case to the authorities in the state and the Centre. But when nothing came out of it, we approached the court, which ruled in our favour.”

The Mumbai Chamber of Housing Industry had also petitioned against the restriction.

“Our case was that high-rise development in a city like Mumbai can’t be stalled just because authorities could not find a higher altitude to locate the Doppler radar,” Bhalwankar said.

In July this year, the HC had ruled that the municipal corporation could commence the process of approving plans in accordance with the Development Control Regulation 1991 without insisting on an no-objection certificate from the IMD.

The court had also asked the state as well as builders to cooperate and facilitate an appropriate site for the installation of an additional DWR without delay.

With the new radar, IMD can receive information on weather patterns that they otherwise won’t receive if high-rises come up in the vicinity of the existing radar, said S G Kamble, director, DWR, IMD Mumbai.

In June this year, the director of the state disaster management unit had written to the collectors of Thane and Raigad asking them to suggest suitable locations for the second Doppler radar.

The BMC had also compiled a list of 14 potential sites, which mainly included reservoirs within the city, and IMD officials visited 11 in the past two months. Of these, two sites at Bhandup water pumping station and Veravali hill reservoir at Andheri had found favour with IMD officials, but no site has been finalised yet.

“The Bhandup and Andheri sites were the highest ones shown to us, with both being above 95 metres. Buildings up to 400 metres have already been approved in the city. We are not totally sure this site would be suitable for the additional radar and our report has been sent to IMD Delhi for further instruction,” said K S Hosalikar, deputy director-general of meteorology, IMD Mumbai.
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