THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Government is considering a proposal to marginally increase the floor area ratio of buildings from the present rate of 1.5 to 2 within the corporation limits.

The proposal has been mooted in the new zoning regulation norms submitted to the Government by a committee headed by Chief Town Planner Eapen Varughese and comprising senior, regional and district town planners. The committee prepared the regulations in three months and submitted the draft suggestions for Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi as committed by Local Administration Minister Paloli Mohammed Kutty in the last session of the Assembly. The draft for Kozhikode will be submitted within two days.

Draft proposals

Local Administration Department sources told The Hindu that the draft proposals had not recommended any increase in the floor area ratio in core areas in the cities, especially Kochi. Since the built-up space in the core areas in Kochi, including Marine Drive, MG Road and Kadavanthara, had exceeded the permissible limits and the development was disproportionate to the infrastructure facilities available, the committee was learnt to have recommended against raising the ratio.

The revised ratio was much higher than the ratio in force in metros like Mumbai and Delhi and any further hike than what had been suggested would lead to a collapse of the drinking water and sewerage system. Raising the ratio beyond the suggested levels would reduce the cities like Kochi into an urban slum. The new proposals had been made without altering the Cochin Structure Plan. Further changes could be made while drawing up development schemes by altering the structure plan. Considering its unique features, the Kerala Municipal Building Rules could not be made applicable to Kochi. While the draft regulations for Thiruvananthapuram had suggested to permit construction of commercial, industrial and residential buildings 100 metres away from the boundary of national and State highways and roads which had 15 to 20 metres width, similar constructions would be permitted only alongside roads which have 15 metres width in Kochi.

This was suggested considering the lack of parking space in the city. The draft had also suggested to give conditional clearance for residential buildings in green strips, commercial and industrial zones.

Existing norms

The existing norms were framed on the basis of the development plans drawn up decades ago. The land use pattern had changed over the years and areas which were demarcated as green strips had become industrial and residential zones. The Government would notify the regulations, elicit public opinion and then give the final clearance, sources said.

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