The decision of Kerala government to relax building construction rules and increasing the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for buildings has been opposed strongly by the Kochi Corporation. A resolution presented in this regard by the town planning department at the Corporation council meeting recommended that the government withdraw its decision to amend the structural plan for cities by increasing the FAR to four. Increasing FAR of buildings in a dense, land scarce city like Kochi will have serious consequences, according to town planning committee chairman KJ Sohan.    

Kochi can’t afford the increased FAR as the city is already finding it difficult to provide enough roads, water supply, waste treatment, parking and other basic facilities to the existing buildings, he said. The structural plan for the city has been formulated after extensive studies and consultations on the carrying capacity.    

Bringing any change in this will result in a slow death of the city, according to urban planners. As per the city’s structural plan, FAR in MG Road has been fixed at 2 while it is only 1.5 in Park Avenue and in Chittoor Road.