Supreme Court Warns Bengaluru Over Premium FAR Scheme
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The Supreme Court of India voiced serious concern over uncontrolled urban expansion on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, cautioning tech hub Bengaluru against repeating the infrastructural collapse seen in Gurugram while urging urban planners to draw inspiration from the forward-looking design of Greater Noida. Heading a three-judge bench comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant observed that modern metropolises cannot thrive simply by erecting high-rise towers without concurrently scaling core utility frameworks, including arterial road widths, stormwater drainage networks, sewage treatment systems, multi-level parking, and mass transit connectivity.
The Gurugram vs. Greater Noida Contrast: CJI Flags Heavy Plot Burdens and Flawed Drainage
Reflecting on regional planning dynamics, CJI Surya Kant pointed out that civic infrastructure in millennium city Gurugram routinely buckles under seasonal monsoons and urban stress because the density of residential plots and multi-storey commercial towers was multiplied exponentially without matching capital investment in drainage, storm water discharge, and civic utilities. In sharp contrast, the bench highlighted Greater Noida as an example of master-planned urban design, developed proactively with wide road grids, underground service conduits, and green buffers capable of serving population demands over a 30 to 40-year horizon. The apex court noted that modern city administrations must treat baseline civic infrastructure as a non-negotiable prerequisite prior to accelerating vertical densification.
Karnataka Premium FAR Scheme Under Scanner: Top Court Bars Regularization of Illegal Structures
The top court's observations came while issuing formal notice on a special leave petition moved by civic advocacy group Citizens Action Forum, which challenges a Karnataka High Court verdict that upheld the state government's Premium Floor Area Ratio (FAR) scheme. Under the contested framework, property developers and individual plot owners can procure vertical building rights beyond baseline zoning thresholds by depositing a prescribed municipal fee, a mechanism formulated to unlock high-density skyline growth and generate revenue for local bodies. While agreeing to review the constitutional and environmental validity of the policy, the Supreme Court issued an unambiguous directive making it clear that premium FAR provisions cannot be misused by developers or civic agencies as an indirect instrument to regularize illegal constructions or unauthorized deviations.
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