Despite reservations and objections raised by environmentalists, the Metro car shed and proposed zoo are set to come up at Aarey Colony only.
Despite reservations and objections raised by environmentalists, the Metro car shed and proposed zoo are set to come up at Aarey Colony only. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to allow both these projects in the city’s green zone in its revised Draft Development Plan (DP) 2034 for the city.
As per guidelines issued for reserving lands in the revised draft DP, Aarey Colony has been reserved as a no-development zone; however use of the Metro car shed and the proposed botanical park and zoo will be allowed in this area.
Civic officials said all other development proposed in last year’s draft DP has been removed in the revised draft. “Except the Metro car shed and zoo, no commercial or any other development will be allowed at Aarey Colony. We have retained it as a no-development zone,” said a senior civic official.
In a significant decision about open spaces, the BMC has decided to reserve a uniform four square metre open space per capita across the city in its revised draft. Last year, the civic body had drawn a lot of flak after proposing to have a 2 square-metre open space per capital for the island city and 4 square metre per capital open space for the suburbs. In the earlier draft, the BMC had also faced criticism for huge and variable increase in floor space index (FSI). However, in the revised draft, it has decided that reservations and designations of the 1991 DP will be combined with other users to have full utilisation of plot potential. Also, combined reservations are being proposed newly for compatible users.
To encourage affordable housing, BMC has reserved the vacant plot of housing categories of 1991 DP.
