Mumbai SRA buildings taller than 70 metres and more than halfway through construction will receive relief from the requirement to provide two staircases, according to a report by Loksatta citing senior officials of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority. The decision was taken by the state Urban Development Department after the SRA raised difficulties faced by projects that had received approvals under earlier rules.
The relaxation applies to incomplete rehabilitation buildings exceeding 70 metres in height where more than 50% of the construction work has been completed. The change is intended to clear an obstacle that had affected the completion of several buildings under Mumbai’s slum rehabilitation programme, the report said.
Under the newer rules, high-rise rehabilitation buildings of this type were required to have two staircases. However, some projects had been approved by the SRA under earlier regulations and construction had already begun before the requirement was introduced. Adding a second staircase after substantial work had been completed was considered impractical for those buildings.
The rules also require a staircase at least 1.5 metres wide for buildings around the 70-metre height threshold, along with a no-objection certificate from the fire brigade. These approvals are linked to the process through which a building obtains an occupancy certificate after construction is completed.
The regulatory issue followed a 2021 decision that allowed the maximum height of buildings developed for slum rehabilitation to increase from 70 metres to 90 metres. The permission for taller buildings came with a requirement for two staircases in structures reaching up to 90 metres. According to the report, this created difficulties for some buildings that had begun construction under the earlier approval framework but were subsequently affected by the revised requirement.
The SRA then asked the Urban Development Department to resolve the issue and enable the affected projects to proceed. The department has now eased the two-staircase condition for the specified category of incomplete buildings, Loksatta reported.
The decision could allow eligible projects to move towards completion and occupancy certification, subject to the other applicable building, fire-safety and regulatory requirements. The report does not specify the total number of buildings covered by the relaxation, the exact alternative safety provisions, or the date of the government order implementing the change.
