MUMBAI: The state urban development department (UDD) has permitted the CEO of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) to circumvent a rule mandating that a high rise of 90 metres must have two staircases. The earlier rule, which was for buildings of 70 metres, was that they had to have a staircase of at least 1.5 metres’ width and an NOC from the chief fire officer. When the government in 2021 permitted SRA buildings to go from 70 metres to 90 metres, the caveat was that they be constructed with two staircases.
UDD officers told HT that the rule would be relaxed for buildings where 50% of the work was completed. HT has a copy of the letter sent by the UDD to SRA CEO Mahendra Kalyankar on September 8, which refers to a letter sent earlier by the SRA to the UDD. This letter had requested an amendment in Regulation 33(10) of the Development Control and Promotion Regulations in order to permit construction of buildings of over 70 metres with a single staircase. But in accordance with the revised provisions incorporated in Regulation 33(9) of DCPR on July 8, 2021, a provision has been incorporated for granting relaxation.
“Therefore, such a provision cannot be made applicable as a general rule.
“Permitting buildings having a height of more than 70 metres and up to 90 metres to have a single staircase of a minimum width of 1.5 metres under Regulation 33(10) of the Development Control and Promotion Regulations for Greater Mumbai 2034 would not be appropriate from the standpoint of public safety,” says the letter from the UDD. The UDD letter goes on to say that in cases where proposals were approved under the earlier regulations and more than 50% of the construction was completed in accordance with such approvals, after which due to an amendment to Regulation 33(10), a building of greater height became permissible, “there is no objection to granting relaxation on a case-to-case basis, provided that the development already carried out on site and the hardship arising therefrom are taken into consideration”. A former chief fire officer of the Mumbai Fire Brigade, on condition of anonymity, said, “Only one staircase is definitely a fire hazard, but the UDD and SRA could have done this due to pressure from builders.”
