Delhi, formerly a low-rise city, with a height restriction of 11 meters till the 1990s, and later raised to 12.5 meters can see a potential advancement in the skyline of Delhi with the introduction of the Delhi master plan 2021 that has proposed the verticalisation of buildings which may increase the housing stock and rejuvenate some old commercial areas.

In 2007, the Delhi master plan 2021 was announced that has further relaxed the height of the building to 15m, which has been later amended to 17.5m. but that would be only applicable for buildings with a stilt parking.

As the Delhi master Plan 2021 states: the maximum height for building *shall be 15m in plots without stilt parking and 17.5m in plots with stilt parking. Such residential building shall not be considered as high rise building. For purpose of fire and life safety requirements, clearance of the Fire Department will be obtained by the individual plot owner. In all plots shall be 16.5mt with stilt floor for parking.

Delhi has a growing population of around 17 million and with the lack of vertical development, new urban conglomerations around the city in NCR region has started to take place.

BUILDING HEIGHT AND NUMBER OF FLOORS 

Building height is the maximum vertical height of a building measured from the plinth level at the main entrance to the parapet or the highest structure on the roof. The height of parapet walls, chimneys, vents, and roof equipment is eliminated from the total height of a building.

With a maximum height of 15m, the total number of floors that can be constructed is 4 + Stilt that equals five floors.

HEIGHT LIMIT OF RESIDENTIAL PLOTS IN DELHI

RESIDENTIAL PLOT- PLOTTED HOUSING

• The maximum permissible height according to the revised master plan of Delhi 2021 is 15m without stilt.
• If stilt is constructed with a non-habitable height of 2.4m then the height can go up to 17.5m. A non-habitable stilt used for parking is not included in the FAR but would be counted towards the height of the building.

RESIDENTIAL PLOT – GROUP HOUSING

Minimum size of plot: -3000 sq. m

Maximum Ground Coverage: -33.3 %

Maximum FAR: – 200 + 30 for service Personnel /EWS

Height: – No Restriction (Subjected to clearance from AAI/Fire Department and other statutory bodies).

CLUSTER COURT HOUSING

Each cluster court house fosters one dwelling for a single-family.

Minimum size of plot: – 3000Sq.m

Maximum FAR: – 175

Maximum height: – 15.0m with maximum coverage 40% subject to light and ventilation condition. Building constructed with a stilt of non – habitable height for parking, landscaping, etc., is not to be included in the FAR but would be counted towards height within stipulated height – of 17.5 m

LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL AREA

Minimum Plot Area – 0.4 hectare

Max. FAR – 20 (above 20 up to 30 additional charges are to be notified by the competent Authority.)

Max. height permissible is 12 meter.

STUDIO APARTMENTS

Minimum Plot area – 2000 sq.m

Maximum Ground Coverage – 33.3%

Maximum FAR Height – NR (Subject to clearance from AAI/Fire Department and

Other Statutory bodies)

The possible strain on infrastructure, like roads, water, power, sewerage is a major reason why the Delhi Government has not yet provided a relaxation in the vertical development in the city.

The infrastructure of the city is screeching. Decades of poor planning has resulted in a shortage of amenities like power, water, and roads. Frequent power cuts and shortage of water has been a common scenario in many parts of Delhi. Increment in the motor population has caused space shortage on roads leading to Massive traffic snarls.

The regularisation of the construction of taller buildings without a proper plan to boost the city’s infrastructure could lead to a situation worse than this. Architect Ashok Lall, a sustainable urban planner shared with The economic Times that “Once you go beyond six floors, the energy required to take water, sewerage and people up and down goes up by 20%,”.

Accordingly, the Master Plan of Delhi 2021 has proposed an energy-efficient FAR of around 1.2 and permissible height of 15m (4 floors) and 17.5m with stilt to retain the infrastructure of the city.