PCMC’s Development Plan: Red, blue floodlines marked; 20,000 old structures to be redeveloped

Civic officials said the state government had approved the revised development plan for Pimpri-Chinchwad in 1995. However, in 1997, 17 new villages were merged the PCMC. In 2003, PCMC sent the new development plan to the PCMC for approval. “The Urban Development Department, however, had directed the PCMC to get floodlines marked by the irrigation department on the development plan. Accordingly, the government had paid Rs 1.62 crore to the irrigation department,” he said. The irrigation department submitted the demarcated DP to PCMC a few months later. However, PCMC finally sent the demarcated DP to the state government in 2015.

Civic officials said the blue and red floodlines are drawn based on the floods in the last 25 and 100 years. As per the new norms approved by the state government, the area between the river bank and the blue floodline (floodline towards the river) shall be prohibited zone for any construction except parking, open vegetable market with otta type construction, garden, open space, cremation and burial ground, public toilet or like uses, provided the land is feasible for such development.

The rules specify that redevelopment of the existing authorised properties within the river bank and blue floodline may be permitted at a height of 0.45 metres above the red floodline level subject to an NOC from the irrigation department.

The rules state that the area between blue floodline and red floodline shall be restrictive zone for the purposes of construction. The construction within this area may be permitted at a height of 0.45 metres above the red floodline level.

The rules stipulate that if the area between the river bank and blue floodline or red floodline forms the part of the entire plot in developable zone i.e. residential, commercial, public semi-public, industrial, then FSI of this part of land may be allowed to be utilised on remaining land. “The blue and red floodline shown on the development plan shall stand modified as and when it is modified by the irrigation department for a stretch of water course. In such case, it shall be necessary to issue order to that effect by the municipal commissioner,” said R M Pawar, under secretary to the government, while releasing the new floodline norms for PCMC.

Welcoming the demarcation of floodlines, civic activist Shridhar Chalkha said, “If residents have to procure NOC from the irrigation department, then what is PCMC going to do? Why should a resident approach irrigation department when the PCMC has the jurisdiction over its land and supposed to look after the river stretch as well? he said. PCMC, however, said that the norms have been simplified. “The new rules will help people understand where exactly the floodlines exist and help them set up constructions legally…,” said Thakur.

The ruling BJP, too, said that the state government had eased the norms for redevelopment of old properties along the river banks. “Earlier, no redevelopment was allowed. And if a resident lost his property because it was coming in the floodline, he was not allocated any FSI. It was like he had lost his property forever,” said BJP general secretary Sarang Kamtekar.

BJP said that the thousands of properties in gaothan (village site) areas of Dapodi, Sangvi, Kasarwadi, Chinchwad, Pimpri, Thergaon, Poonawale and Kiwale will benefit by the government’s latest decision.