The Indian Express | DDA plan: Shifting restaurants and pubs from residential areas

Feb 27,2018

After taking into consideration the views of market associations, traders, RWAs and other stakeholders for amendments to the Delhi Master Plan 2021, the DDA has proposed a uniform floor area ratio (FAR) on shop-cum-residence plots, Union Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said. A proposal has also been made for shifting of pubs, clubs and restaurants from residential areas.

FAR is the ratio of a building’s total floor area to the size of the plot of land on which it is built. The key recommendations include augmentation of infrastructure services such as water and sewage by service providing agencies. The proposals will be placed in DDA’s authority meeting Tuesday for final approval, following which the L-G will approve it. The approved amendments will then be presented before the Supreme Court.

“The outdoor unit of air-conditioning shall in no case extrude from the plot line/or to be placed on the rooftop. Exhaust ducts shall not open directly towards public lane or face other residential plots. Restaurants, pubs shall not be allowed on residential premises as part of mixed use,” Puri said.

The move aims to give relief to traders from a drive undertaken by the MCDs, on orders of an SC-appointed monitoring committee, that has sealed thousands of shops. “We are serious about finding a solution to the problem. The disruption caused to citizens will be minimised,” Puri said.

There will also be uniform norms for utilisation of basements in all shop-cum residential plots. The proposal also states that the local body, in consultation with traffic police, shall conduct traffic assessment and prepare a plan for these areas. “In no case, parking of vehicle shall spill over in common public area, adjoining spaces or residential colonies,” Puri said. Street parking charges shall be levied by the local body as per the parking policy, he added.
President of East Delhi RWAs Joint Front, B S Vohra, said, “The federation supports the shifting of pubs, clubs and restaurants. But, without improving infrastructure, the DDA should not allow basements for commercial use.”