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High-rise construction - an Indian perspective

The main issue of whether our cities should grow horizontally or vertically revolves around the limited supply available, writes Gagan Singh while presenting the Indian perspective on high-rise construction

Low-rise buildings are the forerunners of the Indian residential property sector, and continue to represent its bulk. However, the concept is also highly location-specific and has a lot to do with available FSI in any given location. In the centralised locations of metropolitan cities such as Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai, a builder’s first instinct is to consume all available FSI by building a high-rise project, and this makes sense when one considers that available space is used more efficiently. However, the availability of necessary infrastructure to support high-rise buildings in a given area must at all times be taken into consideration.
Basically, high-rise buildings provide developers with a means of saving on land costs.

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They open up wider arenas to operate on. This means projects will be cheaper on a unit-to-unit basis and also more plentiful in profitable areas. This is obviously good news for investors and their eventual buyers alike.

Challenges
However, allowing high-rises indiscriminately in certain city areas is definitely asking for trouble, and will result in an infrastructure deadlock and eventual fall in prices.
Unlike in developed countries, enforcing strict norms with regards to structural safety, disaster, environment and fire safety presents quite a challenge in India. If we take the intense urban sprawl of financial capital of Mumbai as a reference point, it becomes evident that such parameters cannot be over-emphasised. The same can be said for other large cities, albeit to varying degrees. Apart from the fact that support infrastructure is a huge challenge in most cities; we do not have the benefit of facilities such a helicopter evacuation in India.
Another factor affecting the increase of high-rise buildings in India are the FAR (Floor Area Ratio) norms. FAR parameters vary from state to state and are governed by the respective city development authorities. Increase or limitation of FAR is not city-specific but area-specific. FAR restrictions are necessary in heritage zones featuring monuments, and wherever higher FAR would destroy the urban fabric of a particular area. This has been the primary area of contention. Lower FAR implies higher horizontal growth, which is positive in terms of environmental sustainability but negative in terms of available supply.
The main issue of whether our cities should grow horizontally or vertically revolves around the limited supply available; and whether horizontal growth is a real solution in context with the growing population and increasing land prices.
Every city will have areas where higher FAR is permissible to encourage or accommodate growth of a certain market segment – the same FAR would not be applicable in other areas of the city. Areas that come under municipal limits and are governed by the municipal authorities. The FAR for areas outside municipal limits are decided on by the Town and Country Planning Organisation.
While there are general guidelines provided by Ministry of Urban affairs in form of Model Urban & Regional Planning and Development Laws, their implementation is by necessity entirely city specific by the city development authorities.
Whenever a new area opens up for development, a master plan that designates the land use zone, development control regulations and FAR permissible for various uses is laid down. Essentially, city authorities are in charge of planning the development of the cities.

Other roadblocks
The FAR parameters mentioned above represent the first line of restrictions. Also, in order to prevent the circumvention of mandatory regulations, the development of high-rises in most Indian metros is governed by committees that encompass representatives of the fire and civic development plan department as well as civil engineers and architects.
These committees weigh proposals for high-rise developments obtained by the developer as well as their learnings pertaining to the viability of implementation of all safety norms for a given location. In cities like Mumbai, there is a history of non-compliance and non-existence of necessary clearances for high-rise buildings, which had still not prevented such developments from being launched. This has naturally given the authorities reason to be highly circumspect about ensuing approvals.

Sustainable skyscrapers – a way out?
High rise buildings are extremely expensive in terms of construction, services and utilities. They are not necessarily more environmentally sustainable, given the fact of their very high energy consumption even with the implementation of green building parameters.
Realistically, we are still a long way off from seeing sustainable skyscrapers as a norm rather than exceptions to the rule in India. Cost will continue to dictate most construction in this country, and the fact remains that skyscrapers – sustainable or otherwise - involve huge costs.

Gagan Singh is the CEO - Project Development Services, Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj. She can be reached through Arun.Chitnis@jllm.co.in

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