The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has introduced a set of relaxations for buildings on thika, bustee, and colony lands, particularly for plots no larger than 3 cottahs, to encourage owners to seek official plan approval before starting construction.
As part of this initiative, the KMC has reduced the open space requirements for small plots and lowered the regularisation fees for unauthorized structures on such land. However, property owners will now be required to submit a structural stability certificate when applying for the regularisation of their buildings.
According to civic officials, existing building regulations posed challenges for owners of smaller plots, often leading to constructions without professional oversight or KMC’s knowledge. The new guidelines aim to improve safety standards and promote regulated construction practices.
KMC Mayor Firhad Hakim stated that the updated rules now require a house built on a 7 to 10 chhatak plot (approximately 300–450 sq ft) to maintain minimal open spaces—1 foot in front, 1 foot on two sides, and 3 feet at the rear. The maximum height for such buildings has been capped at 10 metres, equivalent to a three-storey structure, as per engineers.
To ensure tailored regulations, the KMC has categorized plots under 3 cottahs into different slabs—7 to 10 chhatak, 11 chhatak to 1 cottah, 1 to 2 cottahs, and 2 to 3 cottahs—with specific open space norms for each. In contrast, the previous rules mandated a minimum of 4 feet of open space on all sides, regardless of plot size.
Mayor Hakim mentioned that a dedicated committee was formed to study the feasibility of constructing houses on small plots. Based on the committee’s report, the mayoral council adopted the proposed changes.
These modifications follow recent structural issues in the city, where buildings tilted or partially collapsed. Notably, a four-storey building in Vidyasagar Colony (Jadavpur) tilted after its columns failed, and further investigations revealed it was built without civic approval. Similarly, in Tangra, two houses were found leaning toward each other, both lacking valid building permits.
Addressing regularisation costs, Hakim said that the fee for legalizing an illegal structure on a 3-cottah plot in these areas has been reduced from ₹3.27 lakh to ₹42,000, provided the owner obtains a certificate from a licensed structural engineer.
Civic authorities believe that this step will bring unregulated structures under scrutiny and enhance overall safety. Engineers (LBS) will now be required to submit building plans, which the KMC has pledged to approve within 15 days.
Officials emphasized that these relaxed norms are specific to colony, thika, and bustee land, and illegal constructions in other areas of Kolkata will not be tolerated. The broader goal is to curb unauthorized construction while ensuring basic quality control.
