Building by-laws modified for O2 plants at hospitals
No notice and building permit will be required from the sanctioning authority for installation of PSA plant or liquid medical oxygen plant in hospitals if it is in an open or setback area.
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has modified the building by-laws to allow the installation of oxygen plants in hospitals in the national Capital, in a meeting chaired by lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal on Tuesday. The meeting also approved the norms for planned development in 1,731 authorised colonies.
Talking about the norms for setting up oxygen plants in hospitals, a senior DDA official said until now, there was no provision in the Unified Building By-laws (UBBL 2016) to install such plants.
“The DDA has been getting queries from hospitals regarding development norms in this regard,” the official said, asking not to be named.
The official said such plants have become essential, especially after the city faced an acute oxygen shortage during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic from mid-april to mid-may. With many patients gasping their last for want of piped oxygen, the Centre and Delhi government had decided to augment the medical oxygen facilities in the city so as to prevent a repeat of such a crisis, and the DDA decision on Tuesday is to facilitate this augmentation, the official said.
The Delhi government plans to install 57 oxygen plants, including eight pressure swing adsorption (PSA) plants sanctioned by the Centre, to meet the oxygen requirement in the days to come.
A second senior DDA official said, “No notice and building permit will be required from the sanctioning authority for installation of PSA plant or liquid medical oxygen plant (LMO) or similar related infrastructure in hospitals if it is in an open or setback area. However, fire safety clearance, Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) approval and other mandatory clearances, wherever applicable, will be required. These plants will be free from the building’s floor area ratio and ground coverage norms.”
DDA officials said for installation of PSA without any compressor, there is no requirement of a licence or approval from PESO. “For installation of PSA with a compressor, the PESO approval is needed. Installation of an LMO plant also requires PESO clearance,” said the official quoted above.
In other decisions taken during Tuesday’s meeting, the DDA said it will not increase the rates for additional FAR and conversion charges while computing the misuse charge during conversion of property from leasehold to freehold.
Another important decision taken in the meeting was regarding allowing planned development in 1,731 authorised colonies in Delhi.
The DDA has proposed two approaches for planned development -- a regeneration scheme and regularisation of existing areas.
DDA officials said regeneration or redevelopment scheme will help residents. “Amalgamation of plots will be permitted. The minimum area required for availing of the benefits under the scheme is 2,000 square metres (sqm). For this, residents have to pool land and form a developer entity and submit a regeneration scheme to the local authorities for approval,” said the official.
The second option is for regularisation of existing colonies whereby people can get the layout plans prepared and individual building plans approved by the DDA. “The unauthorised colonies will have to meet certain planning requirements such as having adequate access for fire tenders, open space for evacuation and effective disaster management, structural safety of buildings at plot level, provision for social facilities like healthcare and education facilities nearby etc,” said the second official.
The developer entity or the RWA or the plot owner will have to pay for civic infrastructure development charges (sewer, water etc) to the service providing agency.
The DDA has also approved a proposal to allow construction of small flats up to 60 sqm on some of the group housing plots on a freehold basis.
A third senior DDA official said, “This will cater to the demand for 40-60 sqm affordable housing for small families. The small format houses are in line with the National Housing Policy.”