Under the modified DC rules, private developers have been given an `incentive' Floor Space Index (FSI) of 50 per cent over and above what is needed to accommodate existing tenants on the same premises. In case five cessed buildings are reconstructed together as one, builders will avail of additional 60 per cent FSI. If reconstruction involves six or more buildings together, the additional FSI to developers will be 70 per cent.

Further, if a cessed building is located on land reserved for other purposes, conditions applicable to the Slum Redevelopment Scheme will apply to its reconstruction. The new DC rules also insist 20 per cent of the incentive FSI will be marked forcommercial purposes.

The new changes will, however, hold only for premises in the island city which aren't affected by Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). The CM said the state will soon take a decision on buildings affected by CRZ. The changes to the DC rules proposed by the urban development department were based on recommendations made by the D M Sukhtankar Committee. The Cabinet had approved them in December 1997.

However, housing activists and environmentalists aren't happy with the new DC rules and the way the government went about effecting the changes. Noted architect Chandrashekhar Prabhu said when such major policy changes are made, it is normal procedure to do a study and find out if they would adversely effect residents. ``In this case, no such study was done on the infrastructure capacity,'' he said. He added once these new changes are implemented, it would mean a minimum 50 per cent increase of population in the island city. Environmentalists too feared the city would be burdened and itsinfrastructure like storm water drains, sewers, water and electricity supply tested to the extreme.