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The Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) is drafting new building bylaws for its civil and bungalow areas, following directives from the Directorate General of Defence Estates (DGDE). Similar efforts are underway in Khadki and Dehu Road cantonments. Currently, civil pockets have an FSI of 1, and bungalow areas have 0.5, with residents advocating for higher limits. Despite a 2015 Ministry of Defence (MoD) directive for bylaw updates, approvals are still pending. A proposed merger with municipal corporations could shift building control away from the military, making it a sensitive issue. The final decision rests with the state government and MoD.
The Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) has begun drafting new building bylaws for its civil and bungalow areas, following directives from the Directorate General of Defence Estates (DGDE). This initiative aims to address long-standing issues related to construction regulations in the cantonment's jurisdiction, which spans 2,954 acres. Within this, approximately 250 acres fall under civil pockets, while the remainder includes military zones and bungalow areas. However, these new bylaws will not apply to exclusive military zones. Advertisement
Similar exercises are also underway in Khadki (KCB) and Dehu Road (DCB) cantonment boards, as confirmed by their officials. According to a senior PCB engineering official, the board has initiated preliminary work and is in the process of hiring a private agency to conduct the exercise efficiently.
Currently, construction in civil pockets is permitted with a Floor Space Index (FSI) of 1, while bungalow areas have an FSI limit of 0.5. Over time, residents and activists have been advocating for an increase to 2 FSI in civil zones and 1 FSI in bungalow areas to allow for proper housing expansion. Due to existing restrictions, around 2,500 properties in civil areas are limited to repairs, preventing residents from building or expanding their homes. Activist Rajabhau Chavan, based in Camp, emphasized that this has severely affected the local population.
The issue of building bylaws has been a contentious subject across cantonments in India. In response to growing concerns, the Union Ministry of Defence (MoD) directed all cantonments to prepare draft bylaws in 2015. However, these proposals have remained unapproved. Additionally, the MoD constituted the Sumit Bose Committee to address cantonment reforms. The committee strongly recommended aligning the FSI in civil areas with that of adjacent municipal corporations, but the ministry has yet to act on this recommendation.
The merger proposal, currently pending with the state government, already includes recommendations for maintaining FSI restrictions near military zones. However, if civil areas are integrated into municipal corporations, the final authority on building permissions will rest with local civic bodies. This could potentially reduce the military's control over construction regulations, making the merger a complex and sensitive matter for the ministry.
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