Pune: Former MP Vandana Chavan has urged Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to reassess the state government's decision to increase the Floor Space Index (FSI) and reduce the designated amenity space in Pune.

In a letter sent on Tuesday (August 6), Chavan highlighted the adverse effects these decisions have on the city and proposed forming a committee of experts to study the impacts.

Chief Minister Shinde’s recent inspection of Pune's flood situation and hints at modifying the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR) prompted Chavan’s letter.

The decision to increase the FSI and reduce the amenity space was made on 2nd December 2020 by the then state government led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

At the time, Shinde was the Urban Development Minister in Thackeray’s cabinet. Under the new rules, areas with an original FSI of 1.10 can now accommodate nine times the construction based on road width and other factors.

Additionally, the previous requirement to reserve 5% of the remaining space for amenity space in constructions between 4,000 to 10,000 square meters, and 10% for constructions over 10,000 square meters, was changed to only requiring 5% reservation for constructions over 20,000 square meters. This change faced opposition when initially implemented.

Pune's population is rapidly increasing with significant migration into the city, leading to a high demand for housing. The decision to increase the FSI and reduce the amenity space benefits developers but negatively impacts the city's residents.

Sustainable living is diminishing, with more tall buildings but insufficient infrastructure growth, resulting in increased traffic congestion and environmental issues. If these decisions are not changed, Pune could face severe consequences soon, Chavan warned.