Minimum temperature rises, but days still cool

MUMBAI: After a cool weekend, in which minimum temperatures dipped to the lowest this December, Monday’s minimum temperatures rose, while the daytime temperatures remained below normal levels.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded a minimum temperature of 18.4 degrees Celsius in the suburbs, which was normal; but the mercury was 2.1 degrees above normal in south Mumbai, at 23 degrees Celsius.

Maximum temperatures also saw a drop, with Colaba recording a temperature almost two degrees below normal, at 30.1 degrees Celsius. The weather station at Santacruz recorded a normal maximum temperature of 32.1 degrees Celsius.

On Saturday, the IMD had recorded a minimum temperature of 16.8 degrees Celsius in the suburbs, which was 1.9 degrees below normal.

“Minimum temperatures have risen because of the cloud cover. We expect the temperature to drop on Tuesday. The winds continue to be northerly and north easterly,” said VK Rajeev, director, western region, IMD. “The dip in maximum temperature is normal.”

The IMD has forecast partly cloudy skies on Tuesday, with a maximum temperature of 32 degrees Celsius, and a minimum temperature of 17 degrees Celsius. “There is absolutely no incentive. On the contrary, this will jack up project costs. We will be forced to increase the selling rates,” said Paras Gundecha, chairman and MD, Gundecha Group.

The increase in premium, developers said will also lead to increase in the cost of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) certificate. The city suburbs have a base FSI of 1 and are allowed to use TDR of 1, which can be brought from the market. TDR is floating FSI generally generated on slum projects or when a land owner loses his plot for reservation for an amenity and can be used in the suburbs. In 2008, the state had first introduced 0.33 as incentive FSI for suburbs to reduce monopoly of the TDR lobby and help the government earn revenue from development rights. The cap of FSI, however, continues to be 2.

In March, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had proposed to increase the FSI for suburbs and a notice was issued to hike FSI by 0.60. However, after going through suggestions and objections from the public, the FSI was hiked by 0.50. This additional FSI will not be applicable at Bandra-kurla Complex (BKC), for slum rehabilitation schemes and in areas coming under Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ). The city suburbs have a base FSI of 1. However, construction projects can utilize TDR of 1, including the incentive FSI 0.50 with the cap of 2.

With inputs from Naresh Kamath