Cuttack Development Authority (CDA) headquarters at Arunodaya Nagar. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Nov. 16: The Cuttack Development Authority (CDA) has decided to introduce a minimum plot specification for construction of new multi-storied buildings in the city.

CDA officials said that no multi-storeyed building would be allowed to be built on a plot size of less than 2000 sq metres. This provision has been included in the new regulations that the Authority plans to enforce soon.

The Draft Cuttack Development Authority (Planning and Building Standards) Regulations, 2010, defines a multi-storied or high-rise building “as a building whose height is 15 metres or more measured from the average road level”.

“The new provision on minimum plot size specification for construction of multi-storied buildings has been included along with minimum approach road specification of not less than 40ft width,” CDA assistant town planner Sudhir Mohanty told The Telegraph today. “We have already invited objections and suggestions on the new regulation by November 30. It will be finalised then and sent to the government for approval,” he said.

The proposed regulations prohibit construction of high-rise buildings within 100 metres of the National Highway on either side.

According to the draft regulations, all high-rise buildings would be initially allowed to be constructed over 75 per cent of the approved plan. Construction on the remaining land would only be allowed after plantation in 20 per cent of the area.

“The plantation shall not obstruct free movement of fire tenders around the building. Besides, the exterior open space around such a building shall be of hard surface capable of taking load of fire engines weighing up to 45 tonne,” the draft regulation adds.

The exterior open area specification ranges from five metres around a 15-metre to 18-metre high building and six metres around buildings between 18 metres and 21 metres. The space has to be 16 metres around a 45-metre high building. “Adoption of these measures could bring about the required fire safety provisions,” said an Orissa Fire Service official. The CDA, as part of the new regulations, had also decided to prohibit construction or reconstruction of any building, within a radius of 100 metres from any archaeological site or outer boundary of a protected monument.

“No construction above seven metres shall be allowed beyond a radius of 100 metres and within a radius of 300 metres of such monuments. The construction or reconstruction of any building shall not be above seven metres in height. Besides, no building exceeding 10 metres shall be permitted within a 200-metre radius from the boundary of heritage buildings,” the CDA official said.

The Authority had also decided to make the submission of no objection certificates from fire service for all buildings with a height of 15 metres mandatory.

“In case of buildings higher than 30 metres, the structural plan and design shall have to be vetted by any state resource centre identified by the Orissa State Disaster Management Authority or any reputed technical institution identified by the Authority,” the draft regulation envisages.