NEW DELHI: The Delhi Residents' Welfare Associations Joint Front, which has been spearheading the agitation against commercial activities and mixed land use in residential areas, has denounced the notice issued by DDA for seeking objections and suggestions with regard to modification in the development control in respect of residential plotted development under Master Plan for Delhi-2001 on the ground that it is inappropriate to amend a subordinate legislation (MPD-2001) and to subsequently incorporate it in another subordinate legislation (MPD-2021) when the matter is sub judice in the Supreme Court.

Stating that already some of the proposals contained in the notice have been withdrawn by the Government by way of submission of "middle-path'' suggestions to the apex court through the Solicitor General, the Front said the "outdated'' notice therefore amounts to "blatant interference with the judicial process and, therefore, unlawful and unconstitutional''. Further, it said, a plan has to be made for future and not for the past.

In its letter to the Principal Commissioner-cum-Secretary of DDA, the Front -- which is a group of 30 resident welfare associations -- has filed 13 objections to the proposed amendments. The letter signed by its secretary Pankaj Agarwal, senior vice-president U.N. Kohal and president V.C. Tandon, stated that the proposal for revising the development control norms in respect of residential plot/plotted development regarding permissible ground coverage, floor area ratio, number of dwelling units and height will created grave problems pertaining to adequate provision of civic amenities as the density of population would increase.

In the already congested localities where additional FAR and dwelling units are proposed to be increased, it said, it would become impossible to provide any space for circulation, parking or road widening. With Delhi falling in the high-risk earthquake prone zone, it said any increase in height of buildings on small plots will only add to the risk of disasters.

Instead, it suggested the Government prepare plans in consonance with NCR Plan and target decongesting the city. Stating that construction on small plots should not be permitted beyond second floor and basement should not be allowed, it has suggested use of stilts for parking.

The Front has demanded that the position of basement should be clarified and it should be elaborated whether the area of basement is to be included in the FAR or not and what will be the permitted usage of basements.

Holding that the proposed enhanced FAR will clash with parking norms prescribed for plotted residential development, it said no analysis or study on impact of the increase in FAR has been carried out and therefore no scientific reason is available to justify the huge increase in FAR.

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