As per the 1991 SRDP side margin regulations, a distance of H/3 (height/3) must be maintained between buildings. However, the DCPRs 2034 have reduced the side margin regulations to H/5, significantly reducing the distance between buildings.
Planning for such dense tenements, with such reduced side margins, is putting the entire city at great risk, particularly of contracting communicable diseases. As per a study conducted by Doctors for You, residents in SRA settlements which are, typically, built at distances of no more than 3 meters from each other, have contracted multi-drug resistant and extreme-drug resistant TB. Due to the reduced distances between SRA settlements and the lack of sufficient natural light and ventilation, these areas have become breeding grounds for the deadly disease and, given the high communicability of TB, provisions like these have put the entire city of Mumbai at severe risk.
