MEANING OF GREEN BELT LAND AND ITS ADVANTAGES
It is the estimated value of green belt land by assessing its output. These outputs are valued in social terms by the application of welfare economics
Green Belt development regulations in India
The green belt areas refer to those areas where there are planned open spaces, where no forms of development activities take place like as the building of houses, factories, dams etc.
These spaces are used only for growing Stress and plants
Green Belt Land
Green Belts are designated zones around major towns, cities, and settlements whose fundamental purpose is to prevent urban sprawl
Urban Sprawl
It is the rapid expansion of the geographic extent of cities and towns, often characterized by low-density residential housing, single-use zoning, and increased reliance on the private automobile for transportation
Regulations for building on green belt land
Building of any kind is generally banned unless it is for exceptional circumstances . Local planning authorities may authorize building work if it is for agricultural building, outdoor sports or recreation facilities
History of Green Belt land
The official Green Belt was first introduced as a “Limited Development Area” in 1971 with the new city planning law to prevent urban sprawl around Seoul. Green belts are currently designated around Seoul, Busan, and other metropolitan areas around the country
Green belt creation
The architect and town planner Raymond Unwin may have been responsible for the term green belt in the 1920s. For him, it was to be a linear buffer zone between the commercial zones of towns and their residential areas
Buying of Green belt land
Nationally, all green belt sites are protected by policies, which aim to prevent development by keeping the land permanently open
Green Belt Zone
A green belt is a policy and land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas
Green Belt Plantation
Green belt is a plantation of trees for reducing the pollution as they absorb both gaseous and particulate pollutants, thus removing them from the atmosphere. It improves the aesthetic value of a local environment
Uses Permissible in Green Belt Zone as per UDCPR
1) Agriculture
2) Tree plantation, Gardens, public park, landscaping, recreational open space, forestry and Nursery, etc
3) Riverfront development by authority or any institution on behalf of the authority
4) Development of pedestrian pathways, jogging tracks, cycle tracks, boat clubs, etc
5) Swimming pools, clubhouses, recreational facilities after leaving 15 m belt along the river bank and 9 m from nallahs, subject to other provisions in these regulations
6) Public toilets as per requirement
7) Recreational open space of any layout / Sub-division / Development proposals, if submitted along with the developable land adjoining such green belt, after leaving marginal distances of minimum 15 m and 9 m from rivers and nallahs, respectively, or subject to distances mentioned in regulation within red and blue flood line
- The uses and their extent shall be permissible in such recreational open space, as prescribed in this regulation
- If the land under the green zone belt, excepting open space therein, if any, is required by the authority for the public purposes mentioned above, the owner shall hand over the possession of such land for the development and maintenance of public purposes. Thereafter, such land shall remain open and accessible to the general public for recreational activities
- The side/rear marginal distances for a proposed building in land adjoining a river/nallah shall be the maximum of
- Side/rear marginal distance, to be measured from river/nallah, as required according to a height of a building or 4.5 m from the dividing line between green belt zone and the other developable zone or
iii) mandatory distance of 15 m or 9 m to be observed from a river or nallah respectively
Key points for green belt zone
1) No forest land shall be converted
2) No agricultural land shall be converted into an industrial area
3) Any industry established nearer to a green belt should be concealed from general sight
4) Land taken for development projects should provide space for appropriate wastewater treatment
5) Treated wastewater shall be used to raise the green belt
6) The green belt between two adjoining large industries shall be 1 kM
7) Space should be made available for the storage of solid wastes so that these could be reused if required
8) Layout of a project must conform to the landscape of the area
9) Planting of trees alongside roads is mandatory
Factors influencing the design of green belt:
1) Climatic factors such as wind velocity
2) Assimilation capacity of the ecosystem
3) Height and canopy of trees
4) Topography
5) Size of land available
6) Distance from the source
7) Soil and water quality
8) Nature and extent of pollutants
Advantages of Green Belt
1) Air pollution control
Trees help in removing CO2 and other pollutants from the air and by the release of oxygen into the air thereby improving air quality
2) Noise control
A green belt reduces the intensity of sound, functions as we barrier. Trees can deflect, reflect or may absorb sound to reduce its intensity
3) Helps in soil erosion control
Through improvement of soil quality and bind soil particles
4) Helps in containing water runoffs
It stops urban sprawl and encourages the vital regeneration of our largest cities
Disadvantages of Green Belt
1) The irreversible loss of open countryside and the negative environmental, social, and ecological impact of this
2) Development may be isolated from existing physical and social infrastructure
3) Greater demands on rural roads and utility networks, which may already be operating at capacity
4) A reduction in previous surfaces to support natural drainage
5) Public opinion – ultimately, it will not be very popular
Green Belt property
It refers to natural, undeveloped, and/or agricultural lands that surround urban areas. These lands may include open spaces, parks, farms and ranches, wildlands, or a combination thereof – as designated by cities, countries, special districts, and other jurisdictions
Maharashtra unlocks green belt for townships
The government has justified the move, contending that the revision was needed to meet growing housing demand
1) Developers will now be permitted to exploit anywhere between 3-3.6 times the existing building rights on the green belt, depending on the size of township
2) Maharashtra permits developers to set up township on a composite plot of 40 hectares or more
3) New norms allow developers to build up to 2.2 times the plot size in any zone
4) Township won’t be permitted on land designated as notified forests, water bodies, tribal lands, national parks, defense estates, cantonment lands, and eco-sensitive belts
5) The revised norms are also applicable to existing townships where the occupation certificate is yet to be granted
6) According to official statistics, about 31 out of 33 township projects approved have come upon green belts
7) basic FSI 1
Township on green belts – the developer will have to pay an additional premium of 10-20% of Ready Recknor rates for zone conversion to residential use Based on township size, additional FSI 0.7 to 1 by paying another 10% premium on ready reckoner rates. State – another 0.2 FSI to developers for meeting the obligation of building homes for economically warmer and LIG segments on 20% of the space of the building. Township must be at least 24 m wide road, now relaxed to 18 m road.No construction shall be permitted on hilltops and hill slope zones having a slope equal to or more than 1.5. Mandate to developers to build a network of dedicated bicycle tracks, intelligent transport management systems, and pedestrians pathways
Compiled by:-
Avinash Kulkarni
Chartered Engineer, Govt Regd Valuer, IBBI Regd Valuer