Residents fighting reckless commercialisation of their localities are yet to understand the full import of the new zoning regulations in the Draft Master Plan–2031. Though, vindicating their fight, it offers some relief by not allowing commercial use of roads less than 12.5 m wide, essentially excluding all 40 feet roads, it allows small-scale industries on these roads. This will destroy neighbourhoods, say residents’ welfare associations.
Vijayan Menon, of Citizens’ Action Forum, a petitioner who fought the zoning regulations of RMP–2015, said the new regulations can be summed up in one line: “You can’t open a beedi stall, that victory we have won. But you can open a beedi factory next to my house.”
The draft rules allow small-scale industries and establishments in food and beverages, job-oriented training institutes, carpentry, electrical goods, glass, metal, rubber, tobacco, leather and other industries on to roads less than 12.5 m wide. “We will fight it tooth and nail, first filing objections, but legally as well if the BDA notifies the same in the final rules,” Ms. Menon said.
In a strange proposal, the commercial land use is proposed to be reduced in absolute area as well by 2031. For a population of 11 million now, the city has 38.28 sq. km area under commercial use, but for a population of 20.03 million by 2031, the BDA proposes to reduce this to 24.73 sq. km.
So how will BDA reconvert already commercial area back to residential? For instance, the ELU maps show Indiranagar 12th Main as largely being under commercial use. But the PLU map shows it as completely residential.
The commercial component of several residential pockets like Indiranagar, HSR Layout and Koramangala is proposed to be decreased. But the draft plan sets no guidelines as to how this will be achieved.
“A property now under commercial use, when will it revert back to residential: when the present tenant vacates or when the property is redeveloped?” asked V. Ravichandar, a member of the BBMP Restructuring Committee.
