Vishwavidyalaya Metro high-rise: DDA tried to restrict project twice

PROTESTS AGAINST THE PROJECT HAVE BEEN ON SINCE NORTH MCD CLEARED IT THIS AUGUST

NEW DELHI: As the 39-storey high rise building next to the Vishwavidyalaya Metro station continues to be constructed within a few hundred metres of the North Campus of Delhi University amid protests from all quarters, it has now been found that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had on two occasions tried to curb the construction and even tried to restrict its height.

Court documents accessed by Millennium Post show that in 2009 and 2011, the DDA had tried to get Young Builders Pvt Ltd to adhere to the existing rules and regulations under the Master Plan of Delhi 2021, asking it to first make sure that the construction be restricted to 25 per cent ground coverage with a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 100 in 2009 and then to restrict the height to eight floors (G+7) in 2011.

In fact, according to a letter written on August 19, 2009, the DDA informed the North MCD that the Young Builders project must be in line with the Development Control Norms as per the notification of January 20, 2005, according to which only 25 per cent ground coverage and 100 FAR was allowed for without any height restrictions for development of area under Metro station.

Documents filed in the Delhi High Court showed that both the DMRC and Young Builders made several representations to the DDA, fol

lowing which on February 17, 2010, then Delhi L-G constituted a committee under the Chairmanship of Engineer Member, DDA with North MCD’S Chief Town Planner and Chief Engineer of DMRC to examine implications of the construction on privacy and integrity of the Delhi University environment.

The committee submitted its report in March 2010, which said all apprehensions of negative consequences were incorrect and the DMRC also sought a legal opinion from former CJI RC Lahoti, who had said the proposed development of the high rise is in accordance with MPD 2021.

The DMRC and Young Builders continued to try and persuade DDA to “correct its action”, following which Young Builders approached the Delhi High Court with a writ petition.

Even after these points being raised by the DMRC and the builder, the DDA had in a

January 2011 meeting resolved that permission for construction can be given keeping in mind the requirement of 33.3 per cent ground coverage and 200 FAR but a height restriction of eight-storey must be imposed on the project.

But during a hearing in the Delhi High Court, senior advocate Harish N Salve appeared for Young Builders and argued why the height restriction would be detrimental to his client’s project, following which the court had on March 7, 2011, ordered DDA to reconsider its decision at the highest level after hearing the builder’s side.

Within months, the DDA held a meeting to deliberate the height restriction imposed on the project and on May 12, 2011, the DDA cleared the project lifting all height restrictions and allowing for 33.3 per cent ground coverage and 200 FAR. Students of Delhi University, the Delhi University Teachers’ Association and both the NSUI and ABVP have vocally protested the construction near the North Campus, with students of several girls’ hostels in the area having claimed that once finished, the project would infringe upon their privacy.

The Delhi High Court had earlier dismissed DU’S petition to get a stay on the construction and later the matter had entered the purview of the Supreme Court. In fact, after the protests, the North MCD had said it would launch a probe to find out how the DMRC land was purchased by Young Builders.

In 2011, the DDA had approved the project but with a mandatory height restriction of eight floors