Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has reversed its previous ban on building projects exceeding 70 meters in height. The decision, which had stirred controversy among builders, was initially made due to the unavailability of a 90-meter ladder for the fire department. With the inability of a company to fulfil the ladder order, the town planning department imposed a two-year moratorium on high-rise projects. However, NMC Commissioner Ashok Karanjkar has now directed the withdrawal of this restriction. Over the past two years, more than 100 projects over 70 meters have received approval.
The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has made a significant reversal of its recent directive, allowing high-rise building projects exceeding 70 meters in height to proceed. The decision to rescind the ban, which was imposed earlier this year, was announced by a civic official last week. According to the official, the town planning department will now grant permission for all building projects that exceed the 70-meter height limit.
This change in policy comes after the town planning department had imposed a two-year restriction on such high-rise projects back in August. The restriction was a response to a tender floated by the fire department for the purchase of a 90-meter ladder, which failed to elicit any positive responses from potential suppliers.
The fire department had initially issued an order to a company for the procurement of the ladder. However, the company later cited financial constraints and informed the fire department of its inability to fulfil the order. In light of this, the fire department notified the town planning department that it would need to restart the tender process, which was estimated to take around two years. Consequently, a decision was made not to permit any new high-rise projects for the next two years.
This decision had not been received well within the local builder community, many of whom had grand plans for high-rise construction in the city. Responding to the backlash, NMC Commissioner Ashok Karanjkar stepped in and directed the town planning department to reverse the ban.
The backdrop to this situation involves the state government's introduction of a unified Development Control Promotions and Regulation (DCPR) in December 2020. Under the unified DCPR, the NMC was granted the authority to issue permits for building projects reaching heights of up to 100 meters. However, this was subject to the condition that a suitable ladder be available for use by the fire brigade in case of emergencies.
In accordance with this new regulation, the civic body had started granting approvals for high-rise projects. Over the past two years, the NMC has given the green light to more than 100 building projects with heights exceeding 70 meters.
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