‘Won’t allow high-rises in Delhi till I am alive’
29 Jun 2013 5:19 AM IST
Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Friday ‘shut out’ the Centre’s plan for the vertical growth of the national Capital for ‘all practical purposes’. Speaking at a function organised by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham), the chief minister said she won’t allow construction of high-rise buildings as long as she is ‘alive’.
Dikshit’s stand is in direct contrast to the line taken by the union urban development minister Kamal Nath who is pushing for vertical growth. Dikshit has been opposing vertical expansion arguing that it will put additional stress on existing resources and infrastructure in the city besides severely impacting the ecology.
‘I agree with you that eventually perhaps Delhi will need high-rise buildings. But it will not be allowed as long as I am alive,’ she said on Friday. Earlier, a number of speakers had underlined the need for allowing vertical growth of the city.
Underlining the need for protecting the ecosystem in Delhi, Dikshit exhorted people to plant saplings to extend the green cover further.
‘We started the plantation drive when we came to power in 1999. We saw the
Rajasthan desert coming towards Delhi. If we had not carried out the plantation drive, probably Delhi would have been a desert today,’ said Dikshit.
As per existing norms, the height of a building in residential areas can not go beyond 15 metres. The urban development ministry is currently in the process of reviewing the master plan of Delhi 2021 and is expected to finalise a number of amendments like allowing high-rises and increasing existing floor area ratio.
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