Unlimited FSI putting Hyd in danger zone

Infrastructure will simply collapse, and traffic gridlocks will be the order of the day if unrestricted construction is allowed in Hyderabad. The traffic problem will be much bigger than what Bengaluru is facing now. So will be the water crisis. To put it simply, Hyderabad is fast heading for an urban disaster — A seasoned developer tells The Hans India

Hyderabad: A slight rain is bringing Hyderabad to a grinding halt these days. But this beautiful city, once popular as the ‘City of Pearls’, is staring at a much bigger, nightmarish crisis on the infrastructure front as unlimited floor space index (FSI) is fast pushing Hyderabad into a danger zone.

While major cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Kolkata have FSI ratio limits and the average FSI works out to be around 2-2.5 across these cities, Hyderabad is the only prominent major Indian city that has an unlimited FSI ratio. Even if an FSI of 2.5 is allowed, the maximum built-up area that can be constructed on a one-acre land site is around 1 lakh sft, which is ideal for any urban area.

But taking advantage of the lopsided unlimited FSI norm, some developers in Hyderabad are constructing residential or commercial space of more than 5 lakh sft on one acre of land, which works out to more than four times the ideal ratio. That way, they are raking in moolah left, right, and centre. In some instances, developers are constructing even 10 lakh sft on one acre.

“Even New York, London, Paris, known as global cities, don’t have unlimited FSI, barring in one or two localities. But in Hyderabad, there is unlimited FSI everywhere, and that is turning out to be a big bane for the city. If the state government doesn’t act fast and restrict FSI forthwith, infrastructure in the city will simply collapse in the next few years. Traffic gridlocks will last much longer than those we have witnessed during the recent heavy rains. Pressure on infrastructure like roads, drainage systems and natural resources like water, will be huge.

The traffic problem will be much bigger than what Bengaluru is facing now. So will be the water crisis. To put it simply, Hyderabad is fast heading for an urban disaster,” a seasoned realty developer told The Hans India on condition of anonymity. It’s dreadful to even imagine what is in store for this city when it comes to the infrastructure, he added.

According to those in the real estate sector, only a handful of cash-rich developers are benefiting from the unlimited FSI and raking in unlimited moolah at the cost of future generations. They strongly feel it’s high time to stop this menace of unlimited FSI and save Hyderabad from the brink of collapse.

“It is nightmarish to go to the IT hub in Hyderabad these days. Unable to bear the pain and grind of perennial traffic jams, I am avoiding commuting to my office even during the three days in a week when I am supposed to be in office. I am unable to go to the office even on my two-wheeler, leave alone in my car. Traffic gridlocks around Mindspace scare me,” lamented Kishore Manchala, a software employee. Like him, many avoid going towards HI-TEC City and Financial District during peak hours, fearing traffic jams. And other areas in Hyderabad’s IT hub are not far behind.

Even Telangana Chief Minister Anumula Revanth Reddy warned of dangers of unbridled construction in the city a few months ago. “Previous BRS government has given permission to developers to construct five lakh sft of space in one acre. In 25 acres of land, 3,200 apartments have come up. Three cars per apartment means it will have 10,000 cars.

Even if a third of those cars come onto the road at 9.30 am to go to the office every day, as many as 3,500 cars hit the road. If 30 such ventures are located at the same place, one lakh cars will come on to the road. In that scenario, can traffic be controlled? Where is the drainage system to meet the demand of such apartment complexes?” the Chief Minister said angrily on the floor of the Telangana Assembly earlier this year. He also pointed out the kind of pollution air conditioners from those apartments could generate. He blamed corrupt practices of the previous BRS government for the mess.

But unfortunately, Telangana government’s Municipal Administration & Urban Development (MA&UD) Department, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) failed to act against the unlimited FSI despite the Chief Minister’s strong statement against such practice. Incidentally, the MA&UD ministerial portfolio is with the Chief Minister himself! Are some officials from MA&UD Department, HMDA and GHMC also benefiting from the unlimited FSI norm?

What is FSI?

Floor Space Index (FSI) is the ratio of the total built-up area to that of the total area of the land parcel or plot on which it has been built. In some areas, this is also called Floor Area Index (FAR). To arrive at this ratio, the total floor space of the building is divided by the size of the plot. For instance, if a building has a cumulative built-up space (all floors put together) of 87,120 square feet and the plot on which it has been constructed is one acre (43,560 sft) in size, the FSI works out to two.

We get this after dividing 87,120 sft (building size) by 43,560 sft (land size). FSI limit is essential for a planned and healthy development of a city or an urban area. It also regulates population and construction density. In global cities, higher FSI is given in a single locality or along a single road for better skyline purposes.

Further, in a CBD (central business district) of a city, FSI norms are relaxed a bit to allow real estate developers to construct more space. Besides, property value hinges on the FSI norms. The higher the FSI, the more built-up area a developer can construct on the same plot. Property developers or land buyers will not hesitate to pay hefty sums for land if unlimited FSI is allowed. For, unlimited FSI usually allows them to get higher profits on their investments.