The construction rules, which were the subject of a series of amendments during the UDF government's mandate, are set for a drastic change with the state government mooting the introduction of three different construction standards for the state, depending on the nature of the area. The town planning department has formed three committees on the formulation of separate construction rules for corporations, municipalities and panchayats.
The preparation of each project has reached the final stage and is perceived as an important change since the Kerala Municipality Construction Rules (KMBR) went into effect in 1999, surpassing the 1984 Kerala Construction Rules (KBR) In 2011, as KMBR was later divided into two, adding Kerala Panchayat Building Rules (KPBR).
LSG Minister K T Jaleel said the drafts will be examined by the department and presented at the assembly. The decision to opt for three separate rules has been driven by a number of reasons ranging from a series of amendments that were made at KMBR between 2012 and 2014 and the delimitation process that created 28 new municipalities.
"The amendments during the previous regime were so much that they caused a lot of confusion, belonging to several rules. With the construction rules being classified by area, this confusion can be addressed," said a senior urban planning official. Sources from the city planning department indicated that significant changes will be introduced in terms of surface area (FAR), coverage, open spaces, access to high rise buildings and parking depending on the construction site.
According to experts, Kerala offers maximum FAR compared to all other states. While KMBR had limited FAR between 2 and 2.75, the amendment introduced by the UDF government offered four. For specially sanctioned projects, FAR was even five. This implies that if a builder is authorized to build 100 square meters on a plot of 100 square meters in Mumbai, Kerala could build 400 square meters on the same plot. The FAR variable, taking into account the nature of the local body, is likely to be introduced into the revised set of rules.
"Many municipalities, which were formed after the delimitation, share the characteristics of an urbanized panchayat, some of which also contain ecologically sensitive areas.If a common FAR applies to the corporation and a municipality, it causes an unregulated development. Variable FAR and a separate rule, this problem could be solved, "said one official.
It was learned that the amendments, which largely disagreed with the National Building Code (NBC), could also be subject to a review. NBC prescribes a wide range of open spaces ranging from 4.5-16m around residential apartments, depending on their height to facilitate the free circulation and operation of fire engines. The amendment introduced in 2013 in KMBR diluted this recommendation. KMBR said that in the case of highways, a clear motorized open space of 5 m should be available to build in the front as well as any of its side adjoining the adjacent road to facilitate firefighting.
A total of 28 new municipalities were formed in 2015 after delimitation and a municipality became a corporation. LSG officials said the classification of construction rules is a common trick being implemented by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. "These states practice development control regulations for areas within the city and beyond that region, followed by another set of rules. By having two rules, development can be strictly regulated based on geographic specifications," said one LSG official associated with the plan.