Gujarat aims for the skies, approves 70+ floor buildings in 5 cities

Govt says skyscrapers would show the state's mettle in infrastructure and help in housing

Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani on Tuesday approved construction of buildings more than 70 floors tall in five cities, using skyscrapers to showcase the state’s economic might. 

Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot will be allowed skyscrapers to put Gujarat on the global map on the lines of places like UAE and Singapore, which are famous for their high-rises.

The government said skyscrapers would show the state’s mettle in infrastructure. With the construction of the skyscrapers, the state’s urban infrastructure will be able to accommodate the rising population and generate more employment for the dwellers.

Apart from permitting construction of more than 70 floors in a building compared to 22-23 floors previously, the new rules shall be applicable to buildings taller than 100 metres and with an aspect ratio of 1:9. Provisions for construction of such tall buildings shall be made in the CGDCR-2017. 

The new provisions will be applicable in D1 category in Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA), Surat (SUDA), Vadodara (VUDA), Rajkot (RUDA) and Gandhinagar (GUDA), where permissible base floor space index (FSI) is equal to or more than 1.2. Now, the maximum FSI will not be more than 5.4 in any case. Premium FSI will be available on chargeable basis wherein charges will be 50 per cent of Jantri rate of non-agriculture land.

The new rules provide for construction of such buildings only if the adjoining road is more than 30 meters wide. Minimum plot size is 2500 sq.mt. for buildings that range from 100 to 150 meters while minimum plot size is 3500 sq.mt. for buildings that are above 150 meters.

The buildings can either be used for residential, commercial, or recreational purposes or a combination of the same. However, electric charging facility in the parking zone, along with vent tunnel test and proper disaster management plan are some of the mandatory requirements under the new norms approved.