An overview of Berhampur city. Telegraph picture

Berhampur, Dec. 23: The development authority has sought to enforce strict regulations to check unregulated real estate activities and parking issues in the city.

“We have made parking provisions compulsory for all apartments, commercial complexes, shopping malls, theatres and multiplex in the Berhampur Development Authority’s jurisdiction,” said town and regional planning member of the authority Raj Kishore Sahu.

All apartments must ensure 25 per cent of the built-up area for parking, he said. For commercial buildings, the parking area must be 30 per cent of the built-up area, while in case of shopping malls, theatres and multiplex, it would be 40 per cent, he said.

The development authority area covers 104 apartments, five shopping malls and five multi-storey buildings. “The parking areas in most apartments at present are restricted. We have fixed the minimum area for construction of apartment at 500sqm, while for multi-storey building, it is 2,000sqm,” Sahu said.

Builders, however, find themselves in discomfort following the strict building norms. “The norms are fit for metros. Though building regulations are necessary for any city, the draft prepared by the authority needs some changes,” said president of the Berhampur Builders’ Association Uma Panigrahi.

Earlier, one-third area of an apartment in a commercial zone was demarcated as residential and the rest as commercial. “But now, under the new building norms, no residential accommodation would be provided with such a zone. Similarly, the part plot penalty system must change. One can apply for a layout approval for 30x60 feet plot. But if one owns a 45x60 feet plot, he would be penalised under the new norms, which does not happen anywhere in India,” he said.