Goa: 400 FAR to Kadamba plateau attracts bouquets, brickbats

Times of India | 1 month ago | 21-05-2022 | 01:02 am

Panaji: The town and country planning (TCP) department’s move to permit an FAR of 400 for the Kadamba plateau has drawn both flak and support. While Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA) has criticised the move, calling it a “disaster in the making”, Credai said that TCP’s decision is a step towards planned development. However, while encouraging the development of Kadamba plateau as a satellite township of Panaji, Credai added a rider and said that clear guidelines and transparency need to be ensured. The TCP board met on Tuesday, where TCP minister Vishwajit Rane decided to increase the permissible FAR on Kadamba Plateau to 400. GBA said that the idea of taking pressure off congested areas like Panaji makes sense, but jumping straight to FAR of 400 would lead to a concrete jungle. “This is something that even Noida does not have, picture the disaster in the making. Concentration of concrete creates heat islands that are unbearable in today’s heat waves, which are only set to get worse in India,” said GBA convenor Sabina Martins. FAR, or Floor to Area Ratio, is a measure of how much can be built on a plot of land. While urban areas like Panaji have an FAR of 250, cities like Mumbai, Bangalore and Noida provide between 133 and 350 FAR. Credai president Nilesh Salkar disagreed with GBA’s stand. “Kadamba plateau, being in the nascent stage of development that it is, has scope to a well-planned infrastructure with systematic development. Considering the fact that the government plans to use professional planning agencies, it can become a landmark location. So keeping a 400 FAR would make a lot of sense,” said Salkar. GBA remains skeptical, arguing that the state has yet to learn from the mistakes of the Regional Plan exercise. “It is critical to have a 10-year master plan that fits in all the requirements. Cease random decisions and follow a proper planning process for a Regional Plan,” said Reboni Saha, the GBA general secretary. GBA wants the TCP department to withdraw its decisions, particularly the move to increase the permissible FAR for hotels. Salkar said that as long as the state government frames clear guidelines for allotting FAR and allots additional FAR in a transparent manner, Credai sees no problem.

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Security beefed up outside Goa hotel ahead of Eknath Shinde-led rebel camp’s arrival

The Indian Express | 14 hours ago | 29-06-2022 | 10:40 pm

The Indian Express

14 hours ago | 29-06-2022 | 10:40 pm

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The Indian Express | 1 day ago | 28-06-2022 | 10:40 pm

The Indian Express

1 day ago | 28-06-2022 | 10:40 pm

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The Indian Express | 2 days ago | 28-06-2022 | 03:40 am

The Indian Express

2 days ago | 28-06-2022 | 03:40 am

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The Indian Express | 1 week ago | 20-06-2022 | 03:40 am

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The Indian Express | 1 week ago | 16-06-2022 | 05:40 pm

The Indian Express

1 week ago | 16-06-2022 | 05:40 pm

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