The Hindu 26.12.2009
HMDA norms for affordable housing
| Revised Master Plan for Core Area specifies standards for planning and design apart from other parameters on height, size and parking requirements |
Consumer-friendly: With many builders venturing into affordable housing following the slowdown in realty sector, HMDA has come out with a revised master plan.
The concept of affordable housing has caught the fancy of builders and developers in the wake of slowdown in real estate activities and this is also being seen as only viable aspect in the present crisis situation by the construction industry.
It is in this backdrop, the Revised Master Plan for Core Area (Erstwhile MCH Area) of Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority has come out with standards for planning and design apart from other parameters on height, size and parking requirements.
Notified for objections and suggestions, it puts the minimum plot size for affordable housing scheme to be 1,000 sq.mts., and ensure community open space of minimum 10 per cent of total site area out of which not more than 3 per cent may be utilised for shopping centre/public facilities centre and to be developed as a separate block. While the parking for EWS and LIG is expected to be exclusively for 2-wheelers, the same for MIG and other categories is to comprise both 2 and 4-wheelers.
The maximum size of unit area permissible in such schemes has been suggested at 35 sq.mts for EWS, 48 sq.mts for LIG and 80 sq.mts and the same excluding common areas like balcony, staircase and corridor.
The height of the dwelling units building/blocks covered under the component has been put at 15m excluding the stilt parking floor.
In these schemes since affordability is the key factor, low cost construction techniques, sustainable building and construction should be ensured, says the notification. Incentives to public agencies/private builders/developers undertaking the schemes are also on offer.
The notification also lay down land use zoning regulations with classifications and the same include water bodies zone, transportation zone and special reservation zone. The special reservation zone among others has defence/military lands, burial grounds, cremation grounds apart from rocks and hills and natural heritage.
The water bodies zone that indicate all existing water bodies, rivers, streams, lakes, tanks and kuntas will have no construction permitted in the water-spread (FTL) and the buffer belt of minimum 30 metres around the FTL.
Incentives
Under incentives for road widening and new link roads, it is mentioned that any land owner who surrenders land voluntarily for link roads, connecting links and others shall be allowed air rights to build over the road link to the extent of his site.
T. Lalith Singh
