Urban development is not merely about erecting high-rise buildings; amenities such as roads, sewerage systems, drainage, parking, and public transport must expand at a commensurate pace. Highlighting this, the Supreme Court expressed concern over Bengaluru’s rapid urbanization and cited the examples of Gurugram and Greater Noida.
On Tuesday, the Bench observed that civic infrastructure in Gurugram collapses during rains or natural calamities because the burden of plots and multi-story buildings increased without a corresponding investment in drainage, sewage, and other basic amenities. In contrast, the Court cited Greater Noida as an example of planned development that took into account the needs of the next 30 to 40 years.
The Court made these remarks while hearing a petition challenging a Karnataka High Court order that had upheld the state government’s ‘Premium Floor Area Ratio (FAR)’ scheme.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana issued notice on the petition filed by the ‘Citizens Action Forum’. However, the Bench clarified that additional FAR should not be utilized to regularize illegal constructions. Under the Premium FAR scheme, property owners can purchase construction rights exceeding the normally sanctioned FAR by paying a prescribed premium. The objective is to encourage vertical urban growth and generate additional revenue for urban local bodies.
FAR represents the ratio between the size of a plot of land and the total floor area that can be constructed upon it. An increase in FAR effectively means that permission can be granted for more construction on the same plot of land.
