High rises redraw Nashik’s skyline as city grows vertically

Nashik: The civic body has started approving residential and commercial projects with building heights of up to 124 metres in Nashik, allowing more than 40 to 42 floors, as a new generation of tall buildings replaces the city's traditionally low-rise urban fabric.Officials of the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) said the move towards vertical development is driven by relaxed construction norms, rising land prices and increasing housing demand. Over the past five to six years, several towers exceeding 70 metres, with more than 25 floors, were completed in the tier-II city.Officials said approvals for tall structures became possible under the unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR) approved by Maharashtra govt in 2020. Under these regulations, the civic body could clear projects taller than 100 metres, provided the city's fire brigade department is equipped with a high-reach ladder system capable of reaching the upper floors of such buildings.At present, the maximum permissible building height in Nashik is effectively linked to the height of the ladder available with the NMC fire brigade department. Officials said the corporation's existing equipment allowed approval of buildings up to 124 metres, subject to other technical clearances. With several more high-rise proposals in the pipeline, city planners said Nashik is steadily evolving into a more compact and vertical urban centre.Speaking to TOI, NMC commissioner Manisha Khatri confirmed that permissions are already being granted for buildings up to this height. "We have given approval to some residential building proposals with a height of 124 metres in the city," she said.A senior official from the town planning department said the current regulations did not impose any explicit height cap on residential or commercial buildings. "As per the unified DCPR approved in 2020, there is technically no upper height limit for buildings. Even projects taller than 124 metres can be constructed, provided developers have sufficient land to maintain the required side margins and comply with safety norms," the official said.The official said high-rise construction in Nashik gained momentum after 2020, following the implementation of the new DCPR. In its initial phase, most high-rise buildings ranged between 50 and 60 metres, accommodating about 15 to 20 floors, and more than 100 residential projects in this category came up over the past seven to eight years.In the subsequent phase, around 25 to 30 projects with heights between 70 and 90 metres were developed across the city. Officials said Nashik is now witnessing a trend of ultra-tall residential towers rising to 124 metres, and at least two such projects are under construction after receiving approvals from the civic body earlier."We are also in the process of granting approvals to more building proposals with heights of 124 metres," the senior town planning official said.Civic officials said the approval process involves multiple layers of scrutiny. Developers have to obtain No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) if projects fall within a 20km radius of the HAL airport. HAL officials conduct site inspections before issuing clearances to ensure aviation safety norms were not compromised.Officials said geotechnical surveys have been made mandatory before the construction of high-rise buildings, with geotechnical engineers conducting soil investigations to assess whether the land is suitable to bear the load of tall structures. "Geotechnical stability is critical for high-rise construction, and no project is allowed to proceed without scientific soil testing," NMC officials said.Urban planners and architects said the vertical transformation reflects the city's growth trajectory. Nilesh Chavan, a project management consultant and former president of the Nashik chapter of the Indian Institute of Architects (IIA), said the change marks a major transition in the city's built environment."This is a positive development as Nashik is evolving from its traditional wada culture to high-rise and even skyscraper-style buildings," Chavan said. "However, both developers and authorities must ensure that adequate safety systems, fire preparedness and structural integrity are built into these projects."Chavan said infrastructure upgrades are needed to match vertical growth. "High-rise buildings require robust water supply, sewerage networks and stormwater drainage. Authorities must plan infrastructure proactively to avoid future bottlenecks and civic issues," he said.Planners said Nashik's growth has historically been horizontal, but vertical growth became inevitable after the relaxation of height restrictions. "Vertical development will help the city accommodate its growing population more efficiently, especially as land within the city becomes scarce," Chavan said.Officials said building norms in Nashik evolved over the years. Until the 2010s, permissible building height was limited to 24 metres, allowing structures up to seven storeys. In 2013, the state govt increased the limit to 40 metres, enabling 12- to 14-storey buildings. The norms were revised again in 2015, permitting buildings up to 45 metres, accommodating 14 to 15 floors. A further shift came in 2017 when the NMC development plan was approved by the state govt, allowing buildings up to 70 metres, or around 24 floors. The most significant change followed in 2020 when the unified DCPR lifted height restrictions, linking permissible heights to fire safety capabilities.Officials said Nashik now stands on the cusp of a new architectural era, with tall towers increasingly defining the city's skyline.