Bengaluru, 18 March

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday said high-rise development in Bengaluru is being severely constrained due to restrictions imposed by civil aviation authorities and defence establishments, impacting the City’s growth and urban planning.

He appealed to the Union Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu in New Delhi on Wednesday to review and increase height limits for buildings.

“We are unable to widen roads much either. On one side, there is HAL Airport, on the other, Kempegowda Airport, then Jakkur Airfield, and the Air Force base at Yelahanka. Because of this, high-rise construction is not permitted for several kilometres around these areas,” Shivakumar told reporters in Delhi.

“Bengaluru Business Corridor is coming up in Bengaluru, and these height restrictions may become a hindrance for the project,” he added.

“I had proposed a Skydeck project and worked on it for nearly two-and-a-half years, but eventually we had to shift it… HAL imposed restrictions, saying nothing can be done within a 20-kilometre radius,” Shivakumar noted.

Shivakumar said that despite the introduction of a premium Floor Area Ratio (FAR), developers are unable to utilize it due to these curbs.

“This is affecting both development and government revenue,” he said.

Pointing out disparities with other cities, he said, “In cities like Hyderabad and Mumbai, such restrictions are comparatively less. We have requested that Karnataka be given similar norms as other states, allowing greater building heights.”

The state will decide on the 2nd airport 

The Centre has shared its feedback on the second airport. It has asked us to finalize the location for the second airport. We have a few options for the location, and we will make a decision after weighing the pros and cons,” Shivakumar added.

The State government has finalised three potential sites for the second airport: two near Kanakapura Road and one near Nelamangala-Kunigal Road.

DKS lashes out at nice 

“After two years of continuous efforts, we have decided to set up the sky deck in the Kempe Gowda layout. It isn’t possible to erect this within a radius of 20km from any airport. We wanted to build the sky deck near Somapura near NICE Road, but they refused to issue an NOC (No Objection Certificate). They did not cooperate with the government, and we will deal with them,” he said.

Asked about protests against NICE Road, Shivakumar said, “The farmers who lost the land must be compensated; there is nothing wrong with their claim. How will they wait for 25 years for the compensation?”