Mumbaikars can hopefully enjoy a meal in the cool night air as the BMC adds Rooftop Restaurants to its development plan framework. However, a lot of prerequisites and maybe some naysayers might dampen the cheer.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's ambitious plan to allow rooftop restaurants in the city may finally be a reality as the proposal for the same is to be included in the upcoming 'Format Development Planning Framework 2014-34,' according to the civic body's Development Plan.
The plan states that among other requirements, the applicant for a rooftop eatery needs the consent of all the buildings surrounding the proposed spot and not only the building where the rooftop restaurant is supposed to be developed. Common terraces shall not be sub-divided and shall be accessible by a common staircases/lift.
It adds that the terraces will also serve as community open spaces for the occupants of the building.
No construction whatsoever, temporary or permanent, except service platform and toilet block, shall be permissible.
Aditya Thackeray, the President of Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Shiv Sena, met with the Civic Chief Ajoy Mehta at the Civic Chief's office, over the issue, as it was he who had first pitched the idea of terrace/roof top restaurants and sources say Aditya thanked Mehta for considering his proposal in the DP plan.
When ADC spoke with Aditya he said, “it is a most welcome step if all safeguards such as garbage segregation, fire safety audits, legal structures, structural audit are in place and if no residents are to be troubled within 300m of the proposed roof top. However going by the trend, I hope the government doesn't mandate the roof tops to be only allowed during the day, as apparently even affordable eateries at night are a sin! Still, this is only a proposal in the proposed DP from the DP committee and lots of suggestions and objections will be placed by the Corporators in the BMC. I'm sure all the concerns raised by some parties while opposing it, have been addressed. Till then, it's only a proposal.”